Volunteer ETSU and Buctainment hosted an event that shared the holiday magic.

Volunteer ETSU, an organization focused on giving back to the local community with both on and off campus events, partnered with Buctainment to put on a movie night for students while they made Christmas cards for children at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

“We wanted to give students an end of the semester break, but also wanted to incorporate a volunteer piece, so we thought of the Christmas cards, and what better place to do it than Niswonger Children’s Hospital,” said Spencer Sheets, vice president of Volunteer ETSU.

Students were welcomed to the D.P. Culp Center Cave on Dec. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. They were provided supplies to decorate a unique Christmas card to send to the hospital while they watched “The Polar Express” and drank hot chocolate.

Photo of friends making Christmas cards. (ShelC’ Black/East Tennessean)

“Planning something towards finals week, we really weren’t expecting very many people. But having 50 attendees it was really great to see the students come out and give back to the community in that way. Of course, Christmas time is about spreading joy, so it was nice that they got that reach to the hospital, not only to help the children, but also their families. A lot of them are going through a rough time so just by putting a smile on their faces we are really helping,” said Sheets.

Volunteer ETSU partners with several nonprofit organizations such as Goodwill, Appalachia Service Project, Habitat for Humanity Restore and Salvation Army. The ETSU organization’s social projects focus on different social issues revolving around health, youth, literacy, the environment, as well as hunger and homelessness not only to give back to those in needs but to also help students understand these issues and develop a desire to address concerns of their own. They are always seeking out more student involvement and can be reached at their Instagram @volunteeretsu for any questions.

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