CoB Community Donates Food, Health Items to Salvation Army

For JMU College of Business (CoB) students, giving back to the community is an important part of effective, compassionate leadership. Last month, students, faculty and staff participated in the eighth annual Brent Berry Food Drive, donating more than 6,000 nonperishable foods, baby products and hygiene items to the Salvation Army. The event was sponsored by the CoB Diversity Council. 

A ceremony was held on Nov. 16 to officially hand over the donations to Salvation Army representatives, including Salvation Army Major Hank Harwell. Nearly 30 first responders from the Harrisonburg City Police Department and the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office, including  Sheriff Bryan Hutchinson, helped students and faculty load donated goods onto the truck. City council members George Hirschmann (a retired local TV weatherman) and Kai Degner (a JMU alumnus and former mayor), as well as Harrisonburg City School board member Kaylene Seigle, were also present.  

Brent Berry, who founded and organizes the annual food drive with his father Bucky, gave Dean Gowan a handmade heart as an expression of his gratitude. Daphyne Thomas, faculty adviser to the CoB Diversity Council, hopes this type of activity will open students’ eyes to the needs of many neighbors in the community who are less fortunate. 

“Kindness is everything,” Thomas says. “One person, one student, one faculty member who takes the trouble to listen, to help, to contribute can change our world and change the lives of others.”