With Christmas being the season to give, two groups on Eastern’s campus are combining to give back to the community.

Panther Service Days and Alumni Services are joining up with the on-campus Toys for Tots project in an effort to give back to the community.

Student, faculty and alumni are encouraged to participate in Panther Service Days, a charity social, today from 5 to 6 pm in the Cougill Foyer of Old Main. Everyone is asked to bring food, clothing or toy donations and celebrate the holiday season by helping our community said Chelsea Fredrick, assistant director of Alumni Services.

Fredrick said she hopes both students and faculty get a chance to mingle over hot chocolate and help out the community at the same time.

“It’s a great way to kick off the winter season and do community service,” Fredrick said. “It’s also important to meet faculty in a different light.”

The toys donated from Panther Services Days will be passed on to Eastern’s Toys for Tots drive, said graduate student Chad Quinones, who is heading Toys for Tots.

The Toys for Tots program is in its third year at Eastern and has had tremendous success in the past by giving hundreds of gifts to local organizations. The program is hoping for another successful year by asking students to donate.

Donations will be made to the H.O.P.E. foundation, Coles Co. Mental Health, and Catholic Charities.

Quinones said Christmas is the giving season and people should give to people less fortunate than themselves.

“I know there a lot of people that need help in Coles County,” Quinones said. “I want everyone to have a nice Christmas.”

Toy donations can be made until Dec. 13 at the Student Activities Center, Student Life Office and the University Book Store, all located in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.