A Thanksgiving to Celebrate

Posted on Monday, November 30, 2020

UNOH student receives care package from UNOH parent and community member Maurice Le'Von Colbert, Sr.

Written By Contributing Columnist Kasey Carrico

2020 has looked a little different for college students, especially during the holiday season. More students than previous years were unable to make the trek home to visit their families, due to travel concerns because of the pandemic.  Students and families were also being mindful of the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones. A free meal was held at Racers Station and parents put together special care packages for students who stayed on campus over the holiday weekend.

The pandemic couldn't put a stop to the annual tradition at Racers Station as the University of Northwestern Ohio offered a free Thanksgiving Lunch for students, staff, and their families. It was important to continue the tradition this year as it allowed students to be with their UNOH Family on Thanksgiving when they couldn’t be with their own.

Students stopped by Racers Station to pick up their meals and many took their meals to go.  Some students were able to relax and sit down at Racers Station to enjoy the meal with roommates or friends.  One student who stopped in explained why he chose to celebrate turkey day at Racers Station this year “I personally stopped to pick up a meal because I couldn’t go home. It was nice to be able to have a home cooked meal with friends who are like a second family to me.”

For those who couldn’t stop by Racers Station due to quarantine restructions, meals were delivered to their dorm on campus. A student in quarantine stated “I am so thankful that I was able to receive a meal from the University and wasn’t forgotten about this Thanksgiving.”

The UNOH family does not stop at the campus borders, this year UNOH parents came together from all over the states to adopt a student. Amanda Converse, parent of a first-year student in High Performance started a Facebook group to fundraise with other parents to provide students with care packages complete with food, gas cards, and other goodies.

Maurice Le’Von Colbert Sr., a parent and local property owner who rents to numerous students, offered his time with his wife to gather the supplies, put together the baskets, and organize students to pick up the care baskets at the UNOH Event Center. These baskets were a special gift to the students from their UNOH family, making the holidays a little more special during these unusual times.

“This is absolutely wonderful,” Sandy Trump exclaimed on the Facebook page. “We live 8 hours away. I will definitely be donating in the near future!” The parents are planning to continue the care packages during this season of giving. To contribute to the Christmas care packages, join the Facebook group ‘Adopt a UNOH Young Adult’ to get more details.

Category: Campus & Community

Keywords: Thanksgiving