Those who visit the Sears Honors House will encounter an unusual sight in the meeting room; A young, 6-foot-high crabapple tree has been planted inside a toilet. Stacked beneath it is an assortment of toiletries.
This display is for the Honors College’s second annual toiletry drive for the Jacob’s Place Homeless Mission in Searcy. Until April 13, students and faculty can donate body wash, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine products, towels and other essential bathroom items and place them beside the tree.
The drive was initiated by senior Stephen McBride, president of the Honors Council, in 2011.
McBride said that the toiletry drive is important to Jacob’s Place because it helps the shelter with one of its significant expenses.
“Because Jacob’s Place would have to provide [toiletries] for families who are not employed, these donations help to ease that financial burden that Jacob’s Place has,” McBride said.
Sophomore Kinsey Starks is also a member of the Honors College and is participating in the toiletry drive for the first time this year.
She said she was impressed by the response students and faculty members have made so far and attributes that response to the oddness of the toilet-tree display.
“I think that people get excited simply because there is a tree inside a toilet,” Starks said. “It’s just a little bizarre. It gets them interested right off the bat.”
Although McBride said he is really pleased with the response students and faculty members have made so far, he said that there have been fewer donations this year than there were the year before with the first tree.
He said that he encourages students to come and see the tree for themselves and to remember that the drive is open to all students, not just to members of the Honors College.
“If you feel the need to donate after this drive is over, we’ll accept those and make sure they get to the right place,” McBride said. “Because this is really about supporting Jacob’s Place more than anything.”
Starks said the toiletry drive was something that the whole Harding community could “easily do” to help Jacob’s Place.
And being a servant is a full-time job.
“This year’s response has been good, but you can never do enough when you’re serving others,” Starks said.
