Ole Miss basketball player Stefan Moody (middle) showed up during the SOE’s Hygiene Drive for Lovepacks on April 30.

Nearly a dozen SOE graduate students in counselor education volunteered their time on Saturday, April 30, as part of a Hygiene Drive at a local CVS Pharmacy to benefit Oxford Lovepacks, a nonprofit that supports children in the Lafayette and Oxford schools by providing children with food—and other essential items—in a safe and confidential way.

The group collected essential hygiene items including more than 300 toothbrushes, 300 tubes of toothpaste and more than 100 bars of soap. The goods were sent to Lovepacks, which will deliver the items to local school counselors to give to children in need.

“Lovepacks is a fantastic organization and does a great job in our community,” said Amanda Winburn, assistant professor of counselor education and the coordinator of the event. “We wanted to do a hygiene drive for Lovepacks because, though we may not think about it, some children may not always have easy access to these items.”

During the event, Stefan Moody, an Ole Miss Rebels basketball player, also stopped by the event to make a donation and spend time with the volunteering students.

Established in 2010, Oxford Lovepacks seeks to fight child hunger by collaborating with local teachers, school counselors and other educators to provide food and other items to children. Children who are observed as food insecure are discretely delivered “Lovepacks” by educators each week.

By A. Abernathy