USM Groups Donate Clothing to Fieldhouse for the Homeless

Tue, 03/02/2021 - 01:39pm | By: Van Arnold

Three University of Southern Mississippi (USM) groups united recently on a clothing drive to benefit Fieldhouse for the Homeless, a non-profit organization that provides services for homeless people in the Hattiesburg area.

The Association of Office Professionals (AOP), Staff Council and Sigma Alpha Lambda sponsored the clothing drive that yielded 22 bags of items that were donated last weekend.  

Jennifer Lewis, AOP Community Service Chair, notes that the recent stretch of frigid temperatures in the Pine Belt spurred the USM groups into action.

“We saw many people out in the cold. Our hearts hurt for them, and we decided to do something to get them items that could see them through our typical March cold spell,” said Lewis.

She stresses that more needs to be done. “We would urge the community to consider donating items to the Fieldhouse for the Homeless as they start spring cleaning. Those items that you might not need might make all the difference in the life of someone with nothing.”

The Fieldhouse, located at 5712 U.S. 49 South in Hattiesburg, is the hub of services for homeless people in Hattiesburg/Pine Belt area. The Fieldhouse is a turning point, a central source of life-changing care. The facility provides escape from heat or cold, a place to rest, access to bathrooms, to laundry, showers, job search, health screenings, housing assistance, ID assistance and other services home-less men and women need to escape life on the street.

Lewis says that another clothing drive is planned before the current semester ends or at the beginning of the fall semester. For more information, or to help, contact Lewis at Jennifer.lewisFREEMississippi