FOCUS Giveaway
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Imagine going to a foreign county and moving into an empty room. Do you just hop in your car and head to the store? What car? Which store? Where? Each year as part of new student orientation, FOCUS and Greater Portland Bible Church sponsor a giveaway for the new international students.
Don’t quote me on this, but each year I think we have around fifty to eighty students take part in this event. We pick them up at PSU, take them to GPBC, lay out a few ground rules, and then let them go find what they need.
Items are donated by various individuals. Unfortunately, FOCUS has no warehouse space to collect items throughout the year. As a result, we ask anyone with items for donation to hold on to them until the week of the giveaway, normally the last weekend in September, just prior to the start of classes. Often in June, we have students contact us and want to give items back to FOCUS, but we have no place to keep them.
Organization of the event is led by Russ and Claire Rusunen, FOCUS Associates and GPBC members. Hats off to FOCUS staff Andy Peloquin and Jonathan Guest who did a good job of organizing the transport of goods (along with students) back to campus. As usual, the event is the work of many people. Thanks to all.
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