OIT partners with Veterans Resource Center to provide holiday cheer to troops overseas

In 2019, a normal workday of providing IT service and support to the Auburn University Veterans Resource Center turned into an annual service opportunity as well as a mission to support both our student veterans and troops who are serving our country overseas. On Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, the tradition continued.

Partnering with the Auburn University Pharmacy, the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center, and generous Office of Information Technology, or OIT, employees, a team of volunteers prepared and wrapped gift boxes for our troops. Over 7,500 items were collected through our partnerships and personal OIT donations, allowing over 60 volunteers to pack more than 110 gift boxes with hand sanitizer, personal hygiene products, and popular candy and snacks – items that are either hard to obtain or expensive at the locations where our troops are deployed.

In addition, a donation of food and snack items was delivered to the Campus Food Pantry. Rounding out the event was a surprise visit from Aubie who posed for photos, wrapped boxes and helped load the gifts into vehicles for transportation to nearly military bases.

Special thanks to Puck Esposito, Kat Stofer, Mike Patterson, and Amber Grant from the Auburn University Veterans Resource Center, the Auburn University Pharmacy, the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center and the OIT planning committee led by Denise McNutt for coordinating and facilitating this great outreach event.