Bear Boxes Club hosted a donation drive Dec. 6-10 in support of A Place Called Home (APCH), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families in South Central Los Angeles recover from generational poverty.

Founded in 1993, APCH aims to provide young people in underserved communities with a safe and nurturing environment by improving their economic and living conditions, according to its mission statement. Through donations of goods and services, the organization allocates over $1.25 million of food, clothing and household items into the Los Angeles community each year, according to the APCH website.

The donation drive collected new and used books, blankets, boxed and canned food items and hygiene products. Participating students earned an hour of community service credit in exchange for donating 10 items.

Bear Boxes Club Leader Julianna Ross ’22 said the approaching holiday season inspired her to start the drive.

“[I was] motivated to start this drive [because] the holidays [were] coming up, and it’s important to inspire good deeds,” Ross said. “Children, in particular, should be entitled to carefree childhoods and holidays, [and it is important we] provide them with the necessities they need.”

Ross said she wanted to encourage others to give back and provide communities with the supplies they need.

“It [was] exciting to have students participate and collaborate in the drive or even just publicize it,” Ross said.

Ethan Joei ’22, a member of the Bear Boxes Club, said he donated to the drive to support the greater Los Angeles community.

“I want to help those less fortunate than myself and impact the community in a positive way,” Joei said. “Helping in these drives is a great way to spend time with my friends while giving back.”

Sophie Shabani ’24, who participated in organizing and holding the drive, said she appreciates Bear Boxes for the aid it provides.

“I like that [the club] reaches out to numerous foundations instead of focusing on one because it helps spread our resources to many different groups in need,” Shabani said. “It’s nice to be able to have a collaborative role in designing and organizing and to help spread the word about the cause.”