Hillsborough Community College (HCC) SouthShore continues its proud tradition of giving back to the community through its annual Hawks for the Holidays toy drive. For the 15th consecutive year, the campus has come together to bring joy to local children during the holiday season.
The initiative began in 2010 by providing gifts to 60 children at South County Head Start in Ruskin. Over the years, the effort has expanded to include additional community partners. This year, the SouthShore campus collected 167 gifts for children at South County Head Start, Wimauma Elementary School and Calvary Church, touching more lives than ever before through its Hawks for the Holidays toy drive.
This ongoing effort reflects the leadership and vision of Campus President Dr. Jennifer China, who embodies a commitment to serving others. The Student Government Association, inspired by her leadership, played a key role in preparing and organizing the gifts, helping to spread holiday cheer and spread a spirit of community across SouthShore.
“The true joy of the holiday season lies in giving to others,” shared June Fishbourne. “From the smiles when donating gifts to the smiles when delivering them, it’s a celebration of kindness.”
Together with Steve Crudup and Cheyenne Olson, Fishbourne helped spread cheer this year.
Founded in 1968, HCC is currently the fifth-largest community college in Florida’s State College System, serving more than 43,000 students each year at its five campuses, three centers and online platform. HCC offers more than 200 academic options, including Associate in Art and Associate in Science degrees, college credit certificates, postsecondary adult vocational certificates, advanced technical diplomas and certificates as well as continuing education and lifelong learning courses. The college has an annual budget of over $135 million and employs more than 2,200. Over 84 percent of HCC graduates stay in the local community, and together, HCC and its former students contribute more than $1.3 billion in added income and economic impact to Hillsborough County.
The Hillsborough Community College District includes five campuses, each with a unique identity reflective of the communities it serves, in addition to three academic centers. It is HCC’s priority to provide its students with an academic and campus life — including a wide array of support services, clubs, activities, service learning, and athletics programs — that helps foster a more well-rounded, engaged college experience for them.
HCC SouthShore is located at 551 24th St. NE in Ruskin. For more information, visit www.hccfl.edu.
You must be logged in to post a comment.