by Bethany Priest, Public Relations Writer
Cedarville University English, literature and modern language (ELML) faculty and students will celebrate Valentine’s Day this year preparing care packages for the homeless.
Faculty and students will hold a packing party February 14 in Tyler 106 at 5 p.m., during which they will fill gallon bags with donated gloves, lip balm, granola bars, toothbrushes and a small New Testament. The packages will be delivered starting February 14 and are meant to meet physical needs and introduce recipients to the ultimate love story in the Bible.
“We were discussing the emphasis on romantic love at Valentine’s Day and how it can make students who aren’t dating anyone feel alone,” said Dr. Melissa Faulkner, chair of the ELML department. “We started talking about how to move the idea of love to loving our neighbors.”
The care packages prepared on Valentine’s Day will be distributed personally to the homeless by staff and students in the communities where they live and work. “The idea is to keep the bags in our cars, so when we see the homeless on our way to work or going to church we can stop and give them a gift to show we care,” Faulkner said.
The New Testament in each bag will include a written plan of salvation and a note from a Cedarville student, she added.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,963 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.