Having always been an active volunteer in her community, Detective Susan Liu wanted to do something equally impactful as part of her employment with The Ohio State University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS).
She wanted to find something that would allow her and her coworkers to humbly give back to the community without a lot of fanfare. From her previous volunteer experience, she knew of Toys for Tots, and after some research, she discovered that the Toys for Tots campaign that services communities surrounding Ohio State did not have any drop off locations in the campus area.
With her discovery and permission from DPS leaders, Liu enlisted Blankenship Hall to be the “official” drop off site for Ohio State in 2006.
Since then, DPS has been participating annually and has expanded to four donation locations on campus. The department has donated over 5300 toys to kids throughout central Ohio via the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program.
“There’s so much negativity these days regarding law enforcement’s relationship with the community, it often overshadows the positive impact we try to affect in our areas,” Liu said. “However, fortunately for us, several of our Ohio State counterparts and community members learned of our endeavor and wanted to join in on the impact. We are very lucky to have partners who support and share the same values as DPS and I believe that support is what fuels our drive to positively contribute back to the community we serve.”
For Liu and her team, volunteering through Toys for Tots makes a personal impact as well. While the program allows DPS to strengthen relationships between Ohio State and Columbus’ diverse communities, helping others has several health benefits which promote individual wellness.
“We recognize our Ohio State community is comprised of people from all walks of life, that diversity is what makes Ohio State and Columbus a great place to live, work and play,” Liu said. “By virtue of what we do as a profession, we constantly strive for a sense of purpose and provide meaningful experiences with the community.”
One of the DPS missions is to build and cultivate lasting relationship with the community they serve.
“Volunteering for Toys for Tots has provided numerous opportunities to initiate new relationships and strengthen existing relationships which is necessary for our department, and our own individual, well-being,” Liu said. “I think anytime you engage in activity that positively impacts someone else’s life, it reduces stress through the increase of dopamine (the human body’s “feel-good” hormone), spreads kindness and compassion, and overall promotes active engagement towards bettering humanity.”
To Liu, the best part of the drive each year is creating an easy process for the Ohio State community to donate and delivering toys that go right back to the surrounding community.
She is excited for this year’s drive and hopes to outperform previous years.
“My goal is to collect and donate 1500 toys to the campaign,” she said. “Every little bit helps, so I’m very grateful for each and everyone’s support in this endeavor!”
The Ohio State University’s Department of Public Safety Toys for Tots drive will run through Friday, December 13. A drive-through event will be held to collect donations curbside on Thursday, December 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., in front of Blankenship Hall.