The 2017-2018 recipient of the Golden Hanger award is the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies. The Golden Hanger Award, the first of its kind at NIU, was part of a friendly competition/clothing drive between offices and departments sponsored by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) in preparation for their annual Clothing Expo. The award, symbolizing unity and how student success is valued by members of the campus community, went to the department who went above and beyond in turning in the most donations by Thursday, June 22.
“We loved the idea of the Clothing Expo competition. Working at the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies, we’re inspired by our students who do so much to make a difference in the community. We also know that many of our students really struggle with the high cost of obtaining a college education. Julie Ann’s daughter and Anne’s son recently graduated from college, so we had plenty of items to pass onto NIU students – anything to make college life a little easier!” said a representative from the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies.
A retention effort since 2011, the Clothing Expo initiative features new and gently used casual and professional wear clothing and supportive items, provided to students for free. All items donated are from NIU faculty, staff, students and DeKalb community members. Students who attend the program annually, have reported that the program lessens the financial burden of buying professional attire for job and internship interviews.
Through this innovative competition, the GSRC has successfully collected over 34 bagged, hanged and boxed items. Because of all the gracious donations throughout the year, they have over 30 large bins filled with clothing, accessories and household items.
Beyond receiving the Golden Hanger award, the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies will also be featured in a slideshow at future Clothing Expo events. The Center will retain this award until the competition resumes next summer.
The team at the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center is appreciative of everyone, especially the participants, for donating items.
Donations are accepted at the GSRC on a continual basis. Clean, gently used clothing is accepted throughout the year. The Clothing Expo event will resume in fall 2018, which is anticipated to be the largest yet.
