Community members have multiple opportunities to help out great causes throughout Beaufort County Community College’s service area.

Through the end of February, TRIO/Student Support Services will be collecting books for the Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children. The Beaufort County Association of Nursing Students is collecting donations for the Ronald McDonald House during the same period.

TRIO/Student Support Services is celebrating National TRIO Day, its National Day of Service, by collecting new or gently used books for its literacy drive. Donated books will be given to the Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children to support the Read and Return program and the Little Free Library of Beaufort County. These programs encourage reading by placing books in different locations in the community to make books available for all.

Collection boxes are located in each classroom building on BCCC’s campus, and anyone can drop off books through Friday. Students Striving to Succeed through Leadership, TRIO’s leadership group, and TRIO staff will sort and categorize collected books. The group plans to present the books to the Beaufort-Hyde Partnership on Feb. 28.

TRIO is a national program that provides opportunities for academic development, assists students with basic college requirements and serves to motivate students to successfully complete their post-secondary education. Its goal is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants. Friday will be the last day to drop off books.

The other donation opportunity benefits the Ronald McDonald House. BCANS is collecting items such as trash bags, bleach, umbrellas, cleaning products and condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and coffee creamer for the organization. It only receives about 18 percent of its funding from McDonald’s. RMH relies on community monetary and in-kind donations for much of its operational costs.

The Ronald McDonald House has helped families with children in the hospital for 30 years in Greenville and, now, Beaufort County Community College employees, students and community members can give back by dropping off donations in Building 12 on BCCC’s campus.

BCANS President Richard English said he hopes that members can replicate the success they had with the Ruth’s House donation drive.

“We were able to provide Ruth’s House with their largest one-time, in-kind donation in 2016. They were very thankful,” English said. “I hope we can do the same for Ronald McDonald House.”

BCANS hosts speakers to provide future nurses with insight on public health issues. The group exposes students to volunteer opportunities in the community that relate to public health and social services. BCANS will collect donations through Feb. 28.