When students moved out of the residence halls last May, many of the things they no longer needed found new homes instead of ending up in the trash. From May 4 to May 11, the Office of Integral Ecology and the Laudato Si’ Council hosted the 2026 Move-Out Drive. Residential students donated mini-fridges, microwaves, shelving, lamps, cleaning supplies, trash bins and clothing.

This fall, those donations went to 56 Barry students as they moved in. About a dozen students received appliances, and many more set up their rooms with shelving, cleaning supplies and other everyday essentials. That saved them money at the start of the semester and reduced waste from students who moved out in the spring. The drive also reached beyond campus. Large amounts of donated clothing were kept out of the landfill and passed on to Bucky’s Boutique, Camillus House and communities in rural Honduras.

The drive was a real team effort. Our student employees collected donations during move-out week, and members of the Laudato Si’ Circle spent part of their summer sorting and cleaning items so they could go to students who needed them. Their work shows what Laudato Si’ means by care for our common home: keeping useful things out of the landfill, taking care of one another, and connecting Barry to our larger common home.

The Office of Integral Ecology extends its gratitude to everyone who donated, volunteered and helped make the 2026 Move-Out Drive a success.