Contact: James Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Residents of Starkville Manor nursing home received an extra dose of holiday cheer Thursday [Dec. 15].

As part of a group effort, employees of Mississippi State University’s Division of Student Affairs made and distributed blankets and holiday cards for Starkville Manor’s approximately 115 residents.

“We talk with students every day about our connections to one another and our obligations to help those who need it, so the chance to brighten the holidays for members of the Starkville community is important and rewarding,” MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said.

The blankets were put together by Student Affairs faculty, staff and graduate students following the group’s recent holiday luncheon.

Le’Roy Davenport, program coordinator in the Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement, said he hopes the blankets and cards can brighten the days of Starkville Manor’s residents, a group he knows well.

“It’s very heart-warming to be here today,” Davenport said. “As a student, I used to come here with a campus organization and play the piano for the residents, so to be here in the same building as part of a different service project is very humbling.”

Starkville Manor, which is part of the Consulate Health Care system, cares for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia, medically complex patients and those needing comprehensive post-acute care.

MSU’s Division of Student Affairs oversees many community service efforts, including the Maroon Volunteer Center, which works to connect MSU students, faculty and staff with service opportunities in the community. MSU was named to the 2015 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in four categories for supporting community service programs and effective community partnerships.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.