JJC Collects More than 2,200 Items for Tornado Victims

More than 2,200 items were collected at Joliet Junior College for those in Coal City and in Gifford, Ill., thanks to the JJC Student Agriculture Association’s supply drive in November.

Perry Harlow, reporter for the Student Agriculture Association at JJC, said his group chose to host the supply drive in replacement of the association’s annual Christmas drive.

“When the tornado came through, we thought we needed to act immediately because it was impacting our community,” he said.

Items donated to Coal City included a $200 check written out by JJC nursing students, and several other gift cards donated by JJC groups, students, faculty and staff.

Commonly donated items included toiletries and beauty products, such as shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, and deodorant. Harlow made the two-hour trip to Gifford to drop off the supplies the weekend of Dec. 14.

Donations are being sent to Gifford because that area hasn’t yet received enough assistance, Harlow said.

These collection efforts were definitely a success, according to Harlow, and he said Agriculture Association members learned a lot from the experience.

“We learned to put all of our differences aside, and helped people that needed to be helped,” he said.