In mid-November, UAA students with the Warm Wear Bags project donated 400 tote bags full of winter gear and personal essentials to Brother Francis Shelter and Clare House.

Now in its fifth year, the project started as an initiative of the Health Professions Student Organization (HPSO) club. The members continue to lead the project, with additional volunteers from the Pre-Health Society, Social Work Coalition and The Family pitching in to assemble the bags. In its first year, the project started with just 150 bags before growing to 200 the following year, then 300 for two consecutive years, and now 400. By working in an assembly line, the few dozen volunteers packed all 400 bags in only a couple of hours. This year's bags included balaclavas, gloves, socks, toothbrushes, pads and thermal blankets.

The project is one of several community endeavors the club organizes throughout the year, including on-campus blood drives and the Be the Match campaign, which aims to increase the number of bone marrow and stem cell donors. For HPSO Club President Logan Orr, "It's all about bringing the community together."