Residential Life is hoping to spread holiday joy beyond the walls of Binghamton University this winter by bringing Hand to Heart to dorm communities for its 18th consecutive year.

Students can sign up and receive a bag, which is designated for a certain age and gender for participants to shop for, to ensure no children are left out. Poverty is especially prevalent in Broome County where, according to ResLife, 65.2 percent of families are on public assistance.

ResLife began the program in 1996, when a residential director was inspired by another school, and wanted a way for the University to help support local children and families. Donations collected in the residential halls are donated to the Wyoming Conference Children’s Home and Salvation Army, to be distributed to families in need by Residential Life and the National Residence Hall Honor Society.

Residential assistants (RA) like Mountainview College’s Christopher Szabo, a senior majoring in psychology, are in charge of recruiting students from their dorm communities to donate gifts. He said the combination of good deeds and close proximity to BU made Hand to Heart as popular as it is.

“Many other charities provide the donor with the person you’re donating to, but on top of that, the child you’re assigned to is from the area,” Szabo said. “Students seem to have a good grasp on the level of impoverishment in this area, and the desire to help those children is stronger because of it.”

Szabo said the turnout in Hunter Hall was already high, well before the Dec. 5 deadline.

“One RA got over 25 of her 37 residents to sign up,” he said. “Overall it was a huge success, with every side on each floor having at least 10 people sign up.”

Dickinson Community RA Benjamin Seitz, a sophomore double-majoring in psychology and evolutionary studies, said the turnout in the “neighborhoods,” or RA jurisdictions, in Johnson Hall had the same positive response.

“The turnout varied from neighborhood to neighborhood,” Seitz said. “But it looked like every RA had anywhere from two to 10 residents signed up which is pretty good given we have 15 RA’s in our building.”

Students like Meg Sexton, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said this was her second year doing Hand to Heart, and she plans on doing it again.

“Even when I move off campus next year, I’m definitely going to donate what I can,” Sexton said. “It’s a great way to make sure people who don’t have as much have a merry Christmas.”

Seitz said the program was a good way for BU students to engage the area around the University, and give back to the place they call home for nine months out of the year.

“I think it’s really nice to see kids interact with the local community in this manner,” Seitz said. “It’s good for us students to give back to the community.”