Zoe Vecchio, senior, is completing her Blackman Collegiate Academy experience with a Capstone project. Her topic is “The Effects of Mental Health Services on Chronic Homelessness.”

For her project, she will be holding a school-wide donation drive for Greenhouse Ministries in partnership with Blackman’s Key Club.

Greenhouse Ministries is an organization in Murfreesboro that provides volunteers, food, and personal items for those in need, including homeless individuals. The drive will take place from October 25 – November 1, 2021. Students may place the donated items in a large container in the lobby/rotunda area marked “Key Club Donations.”

Different food or toiletry items are accepted daily. The schedule for the week is:

• Monday – Food in boxes
• Tuesday – Canned food
• Wednesday – Bottled water
• Thursday/Friday – Shower and bathroom supplies + socks and underwear

There are restrictions for the items accepted, but it is still a long list to choose from for donations:

Food

• green beans
• peas
• corn
• any canned beans
• any canned vegetables
• any canned fruit
• boxed macaroni & cheese
• any canned soup
• spaghetti sauce
• pancake mix
• syrup
• peanut butter
• jelly
• instant mashed potatoes
• oatmeal
• ramen noodles
• crackers
• cookies

Toiletries + other

• shampoo
• conditioner
• deodorant
• body wash (both liquid and bar)
• toothpaste
• toothbrush
• new underwear (all ages and genders)
• razors (packaged)
• shaving cream
• new socks (all ages and genders)

All are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the drive.

Later on, Vecchio will make a video for her Capstone that examines the link between mental health services and her topic of homelessness.

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