The Queen’s Black Academic Society (QBAS) is asking students to look through their closets for gently used winter clothing they are willing to donate.
QBAS is hosting a winter clothing drive on Oct. 23 and 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where students can drop off clean clothing items at the ARC. Donations can include jackets, sweaters, scarves, hats, and other warm clothing.
In partnership with Kingston Interval House (KIH), QBAS hopes to help women and children affected by violence meet seasonal needs for this winter.
According to its website, KIH provides emergency shelter, counselling, and transitional housing to women and children affected by violence.
In an interview with The Journal, QBAS Advocacy Director Estelle Ngwa, HealthSci ’27, said the drive is an initiative to support local organizations while building stronger connections between Queen’s students and the surrounding community.
“I know a lot of the time, students, we’re in our own little bubble,” Ngwa said. “So, one of my main goals this year was to engage a lot with the Kingston community.”
QBAS has organized clothing drives in the past, but Ngwa said the advocacy team this year wanted to build on that experience and make its outreach more impactful.
The team selected KIH after researching local charities, citing its work supporting women and youth and its need for winter clothing.
“It’s just so meaningful when you get to step out of the Queen’s area and you get to go outside and see what other people are doing,” Ngwa said.
Before reading week, QBAS sent out an announcement to encourage students visiting home to bring back clothing they no longer wear. They are using Instagram, paid promotion, word of mouth, and outreach to other Queen’s clubs to promote the drive.
“I think it’s also really good to try to get the word out there to the general community, because I think this is really impactful, beyond the Black community,” Ngwa said.
Ngwa also wants students to be more familiar with KIH and the support it provides. The team hopes conversations at the collection booth will encourage students to learn about how violence impacts women and children and ways to support people affected by it.
“I hope a lot of students come out and show their support or actually just take some time to learn a bit more about the organization,” Ngwa said.
Tags
clothing drive, QBAS, Women and youth
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