Students Engaging Students collaborates with other Penn State organizations each year in the Thanksgiving Basket Drive, an initiative to provide Thanksgiving meals to families in need throughout Centre County. The organization delivered more than 350 baskets for local families last year alone.

SES set a goal this year to collect more than 400 baskets by reaching out to the community more — it surpassed the goal during the ninth annual drive this week, collecting 434 total baskets from various student organizations.

“It is important to give back to the community around our Penn State home. The Thanksgiving Basket Drive is crucial because it gives all groups on campus, faculty, organizations and classes, a chance to work together to give back to Centre County,” SES Executive Director Katelyn Sullivan said. “Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in our school work, clubs, work, or social lives, but this drive each year, gives everyone a chance to take a step back and do something nice for others.”

The baskets were delivered to more than 15 agencies in State College for families in need and filled a nursery school pantry with additional miscellaneous items. The group also donated items to the Paul Robeson Cultural Center’s nonperishable drive.

“I am so proud of our organization and the campus as a whole,” Sullivan said. “I am hoping we can surpass 500 baskets in 2017.”