BLACKSBURG, Va. — Moving to a college campus is a rite of passage for new students. But for international students, setting up a new household in an apartment or house, usually with other roommates, can be especially difficult as they settle into a new environment and culture, while at the same time trying to get ready for the start of a new school semester.
The annual International Furniture Giveaway at Virginia Tech, held this year on Aug. 17, not only meets the immediate needs of international students but also opens the door for follow-up and relationships, said Darrell Cook, Virginia Baptist collegiate minister on the Blacksburg, Va., campus.
A pickup is loaded and ready for delivery during the furniture giveaway.
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“For three months during the summer we pack the basement of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry center with furniture donated by our partner churches and other individuals — desks, sofas, chairs, tables and shelves — and this year it was all gone in three hours,” he said.
The 181 international students who received furniture came from 16 nations, with students from China and India the largest recipients. Other nations included Iran, Germany, Egypt, Vietnam, Morocco, Nepal, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Ecuador, Romania, Switzerland, France and Ukraine.
“God has brought the world to our campus,” said Cook. “We can be involved in international missions in Blacksburg by connecting with people from all over the world and sharing Christ with them in a personal way.”
“The majority of students coming to Virginia Tech from India are graduate students. For most it’s their first trip to the United States,” said Aditya Kulkarni, a member of the Indian Students Association at Virginia Tech. “Coming to a new country, adjusting to a new environment and trying to find basic furniture like a study table, couches or chairs can be a daunting task.”
The International Furniture Drive is sponsored by the BCM in collaboration with the Association of Christians in Relationship with Overseas Students and Scholars (ACROSS) and other Christian churches, groups and individuals. It is offered for international students coming to Tech as first-time students.
A new international student at Virginia Tech waits with desk and chair from the furniture giveaway to be loaded on a truck and delivered to his apartment.
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Organizations such as the Indian Students Association assist incoming international students by making arrangements to pick them up from the Roanoke airport and offer activities for freshman that introduce them to the campus.
According to Jay Lester, a member of Blacksburg Christian Fellowship, the furniture giveaway is for off-campus students and is done through a lottery. Students arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. to receive a number which is randomly picked to determine the order in which they can select furniture. Students can choose one large and one small piece of furniture and it is delivered to their house or apartment.
“We have BCM students and volunteers from area churches who serve as greeters,” said Cook. “There are showroom workers who take groups of five students at a time around the building to select furniture. Volunteers help load the furniture and drivers donate their time and pickups and vans to make the deliveries.”
This year over 80 volunteers were on hand to assist international students.
“Even if students were able to locate affordable furniture, the problem would be transporting it to their apartment or house,” he said. “It’s hard to get a desk on the Blacksburg transit [bus system]. Not only can we help get the furniture to their apartments right away but it’s the first step in making a connection with the students. They remember that it was the ‘Baptists’ who helped them with furniture when they arrived.
“There are statistics that indicate that 80 percent of international students never have the opportunity to visit in the home of a U.S. citizen. Quite often several of the families involved in the furniture giveaway meet students that they maintain connections with afterward. This ministry offers great opportunities for contact and we’re excited about that part,” he said.
According to Lester, 90 of the students receiving furniture requested follow-up contact for social, recreational or Christian activities and 25 students indicated interest in Bible studies, churches and international Christian groups.
Students are invited to a dinner later that evening at the BCM center hosted by ACROSS and other church partners welcoming new and returning students to Blacksburg. A variety of American food is served. New students can also sort through a variety of small household items such as pots and pans, dishes and cooking utensils in the parking lot to select items that they may need.
“Most students arrive in August about two or three weeks before the start of school,” said Kulkarni. “They have to get used to bus routes, where to purchase groceries and go through all that’s involved in the registration process. It’s the lack of time that gets to most. Most students that I’ve known have used the furniture they receive for the better part of their stay in Blacksburg.”
Barbara Francis ( [email protected]) is on the staff of the Religious Herald.