St. Cloud State University students continued their annual fall tradition of raising funds and supplies to support people experiencing homelessness in the St. Cloud area.
Social work and gerontology students, in partnership with the College of Education and Wellness Professions, raised over $10K in monetary and in-kind donations to provide clothing, hygiene products and basic needs kits.
A silent auction, t-shirt sales and an Amazon Wishlist help fund this impactful service to the community, which SCSU has participated in for over a decade.
“It’s a transformational experience where students not only collect and fundraise, but they get to meet with people who are unhoused, and so many of the stereotypes about them fall away in that moment,” said Shelia Moriarty, associate professor of social work. “They get to do intakes and have real conversations with people that were previously just stereotypes to most of them.”
Nearly 70 service providers in the community attend the event at Rivers Edge Convention Center each fall, and over 500 people utilized services that were provided.
SCSU students and faculty gave out over 500 basic needs kits, which includes food, can openers, nail clippers, flashlights and more. In addition to collecting 1,300 pairs of socks to hand out, they also supplied underwear, emergency blankets, diapers, toothbrushes, deodorant, mouthwash, dog food, combs, tampons and maxi-pads.
“Most of the students identify their experiences with Project Connect as the pivotal moment that affirmed their desire to be a social worker,” said Sarah Meisinger, social work field director at SCSU.
Additional supplies that were left after the event were donated to Stearns County and Catholic Charities. Contact social work professor Shelia Moriarty at [email protected] to learn how to help with Project Connect in 2026.
