TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Students at Florida A & M University are making a difference during the coronavirus pandemic, creating and distributing kits with essential items to people in need in the Capital City.
With universities online for the rest of the semester, Ar'monie Mack, a junior at Florida A&M, decided to use her down time to give people in need essential items to fight COVID-19.
And she's not going to stop until this pandemic is over.
"There are really people out here struggling from this situation," said Mack. "So I thought about what I could do to help this community and the students that are still here as well."
After seeing people in need of essentials, Mack decided to step in. She and her friends made COVID-19 care packages.
"I went out and bought all the necessities that I thought were hard for other people to find," Mack said.
It wasn't easy. Each care package has hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, toilet paper, teas and other items.
Mack's goal was to give out 50 packages. That quickly turned into 70.
Her close friend Cassandra Clitus says assembling everything was quite the task.
"We had to spend a couple days just to make sure we had everything that we needed," Clitus said.
Although it was tough getting everything together, the response was worth it.
"Just seeing peoples stories when we were going to their house delivering," said Clitus. "Just seeing their face and the smiles."
Those smiles, despite challenging circumstances, are what push Mack and her friends to help in whatever way they can.
"If I could do it again," said Mack, "I'd do it a million times."
And she's planning on just that. Mack is asking for community partners and sponsors to help, so she can continue to give back to people in the community.
Mack doesn't have a date for her next distribution, but hopes to serve as many people as she can, especially students who are still in Tallahassee.
