Windsor families in need may get help from the Binghamton University community this Holiday season.

The University’s Center for Civic Engagement is leading a campus toy drive to benefit Windsor families. The effort is the brainchild of Mike Prior, Youth Initiative Coordinator for Windsor and a graduate assistant through the Center for Civic Engagement.

“I was inspired to start this because I was talking with (Windsor community schools coordinator) Katelyn Lapan about food drive-related things through the fill the bus campaign. I asked her if the district has ever had success with a toy drive in the past,” said Prior.

He felt now would be a good time to expand efforts to help Windsor families beyond the town’s borders.

“I knew that a lot of families might be financially strained because of the pandemic this year and I thought this might be able to remedy that a little bit. Also, since many of the programs that BU does with Windsor weren’t able to take off this semester because of COVID spikes, I knew I still wanted us to do something for the kids. We already got the Binghamton Panhellenic council on board and I’m hoping that other campus organizations will help out a bit too,” said Prior.

The Binghamton Panhellenic Council is a governing body for sororities on the Binghamton University campus. The council has worked in the past with the district on a pen-pal program between Windsor third grade students and college students on campus.  

“I appreciate our Windsor students receive support not just from our immediate community, but also our larger community in the Southern Tier,” said Weeks Elementary school counselor Liz Sharkan.

Prior and Windsor school counselors will devise a plan to distribute the donations once the drive is complete. The drive lasts until December 16^th. You can learn more about it here.