The Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA), has begun gathering donations and pursuing volunteer work within the next couple months to help migrants being assisted at the Annunciation House.

SOTA is a campus student organization with a mission to promote occupational therapy through involvement with the community and the university.

SOTA began gathering donations for the Annunciation House on Monday, July 9, in the lobby of the Campbell Building, located at 1101 North Campbell St., through August 2.

SOTA promotes and contributes to activities that are involved in health affairs and volunteer programs such as the Annunciation House. They also have fundraising activities to support the objectives and activities of the club.

“As future occupational therapists, we believe it’s important to enhance quality of life through community participation whenever possible,” said Megan Goldner, president of SOTA. “As professionals, we endeavor to address health inequalities, support families in need, and promote health and well-being.”

Occupational therapists focus on helping people across their lifespans in doing things they want to do through therapeutic use of daily activities, with a goal to enable people of all ages to live life to the fullest, and by promoting their health and or helping them to live better with injury, illness or disability.

According to their website: “In 1978, when the doors first opened, the volunteers of Annunciation House have sought to simply live the Good News of the Gospel.”

The services that are offered go to those that most need it and to those who did not have any assistance from existing programs, agencies or offices.

All the work done at the Annunciation House is done by the volunteers with “many imperfections, errors, fears, moments of doubt, and with an ever-present sense of their humanity and capacity to be uncharitable.”

“I think of the most important things with people doing a drive with donations is that the donations are going to be helpful to all of us,” said Mary Bull, Annunciation House coordinator. “The feeling that we’re being supported, and those people supporting us and the migrants, is one of those things that really help us make it through.”

The Annunciation House donation bin will be accepting the following items:

Non-Perishable Food: beans, rice, powdered milk, canned goods, cooking oil, pastas, coffee, sugar, cereals

Household Items: laundry detergent, bleach, dish soap, disinfectants, scouring powder/scouring pads, bath towels/dish towels, pine cleaner, toilet paper, plastic trash bags, rubber gloves, light bulbs