Campus police, Burnt Swamp Baptist Association deliver holiday care packages to UNCP students

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Chief
Police and Public Safety McDuffie Cummings Jr. and volunteers with the Burnt Swamp Baptist Association prepare holiday care packages for students who will remain on campus during the holiday break

UNCP sophomore Andrea Medrano choked up as she opened her door to find a campus police officer with a special gift package filled with holiday snacks, chocolates and other goodies.

“Wow! Oh my gosh! I did not expect this at all,” an emotional Medrano said. “This is really nice. Thank you guys, so much!”

Medrano has been experiencing car trouble and has been unable to make the three-hour trip home to Washington, North Carolina. Campus police officers were out Friday making special deliveries and bringing smiles to the faces of Medrano and more than 250 other students who will remain on campus during the holiday break.

Police and Public Safety led the efforts in sponsoring the Holiday Care Package Drive. Still, Chief McDuffie Cummings Jr. said it was volunteers with the Burnt Swamp Baptist Association that made the event a success. Association members contributed by purchasing all the items and helping prepare the packages.

“Our officers recognized a need on campus, so we decided to reach out to the community and do something for our students who are unable to go home for Christmas,” Cummings said. “We wanted to give our students a little Christmas spirit. We are grateful for the folks here with the Burnt Swamp Baptist Association. They really stepped up. We appreciate all the support from the campus community.”

Boxes contained a variety of snacks, candy, hot chocolate, Ramen, pens, face masks, socks and toiletries.

After receiving a knock at his door from two campus police officers, Corey Foster said he was a bit concerned at first.

“This is a pretty nice surprise,” said Foster, a junior. “It makes me feel good that they are thinking about us.”

Volunteer Suzanne Locklear was happy to participate and spread holiday cheer to UNCP’s students.

“Not being able to go home for the holidays can be awful, so we try to treat them as if they are our children.”