On Monday, November 10, members of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) gathered in the Miron Student Center Hub for their Boxes of Gratitude tabling. Students were able to customize hygiene boxes with essential items and uplifting handwritten messages of appreciation in honor of Veterans Day.
Aliyah Hutchins, the President of the NCNW and a Senior majoring in Sports Management with a minor in Athletic Coaching from East Orange, NJ, explained the motivation behind hosting this event.
“We know how important veterans are, and we just want to acknowledge them for all of the work that they've done,” she shared. “We decided to host this event [so that] we can collect some essential bags that we are going to give to a military base in Atlantic City.”
The table, covered in deep purple tablecloth, decorated with NCNW paraphernalia, and lined with an array of orange juice bottles and a colorful informational poster, sported dozens of neat hygiene bags that passing students were able to pack and personalize with handwritten messages.
Immaculater Iguwagu, a Freshman majoring in Molecular Biology/Biotechnology from East Orange, NJ, was passing by when she spotted the tabling and decided to participate.
“It's a really cool thing they're doing for veterans,” she said. “I thought, it's not much of a hassle to put things in a bag and write a warm message for them, because what they've done and gone through is a sacrifice, and it's really important to show appreciation for people like that.”
Iguwagu wanted her message to be more than a plain thank-you note, so she took the time to come up with a sincere entry. “I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism,” she shared.
Her friend, Isaiah Dennis, a fellow Freshman majoring in Computational Science and Engineering from Edison, NJ, wrote his own message in a separate bag. He hoped to inspire the veterans it reached. “Especially in these trying times,” he stressed, “with what the world’s going through right now.”
The event was a reflection of Kean’s wider culture of community service. As Tatiana Thomas, the Co-Vice President of NCNW and a Senior majoring in Sports Management from Rahway, NJ, said, “On Kean campus, we do have a lot of student organizations that value giving back to our respective communities,” she said. “We all look out for one another as well as people elsewhere.”
The NCNW is a nation-wide organization that unifies dozens of black women’s groups in the effort to improve racial conditions in the United States and abroad. The Kean chapter consists of student leaders who host community initiatives and foster racial unity at the university.
“We are an organization that uplifts our community,” Hutchins stressed. “This is just one way that we are giving back and pouring into our community.”
“Our main jobs are to lead, advocate and protect women of our communities, specifically the Black community,” Thomas added. “We enjoy giving back to others so much. [We put ourselves] out there because we were blessed with so much—so we just want to give back to those who don't have.”
This year’s Veterans Day showcased the deep appreciation of the veterans in our community. The Boxes of Gratitude tabling, and many similar events of the semester, reflects both the mission of the NCNW to uplift community members and Kean University’s overall commitment to civic engagement.
