Several USC organizations came together on October 14-17 to fundraise for Syrian refugees. Together, SC Students for Israel (SCSI), USC's Political Student Assembly (PSA), USC Jewish Alliance for GLBTs and Straights (JAGS), USC College Republicans, USC College Democrats, and USC GlobeMed raised over $400, which a donor generously matched. The groups gathered on Trousdale from 10am-2pm on those four days to sell Diddy Riese Cookies and Hubert’s Lemonade for a one-dollar combo deal. 

The money will be donated through the humanitarian organization CARE, which helps provide emergency aid for those affected by poverty, natural disasters, and conflicts such as the Syrian civil war. “The ongoing conflict in Syria has killed more than 100,000 people – including 10,000 children – during the past two years,” says CARE’s website. Around 8.6 million people have been affected by the conflict. Two million of those people are now refugees, and the United Nations estimates that over 10 million Syrians will be in need of humanitarian aid by the year’s end, according to BBC News. 

USC’s involvement not only helps the Syrian people, but also sends a positive message here on campus. “A girl came up to me the other day and donated five dollars and told me that her cousin had just escaped from Syria and is now in the US. She was just really grateful that someone was doing something about the cause,” SCSI leader Maya Fried said. 

The humanitarian act by the organizations also leaves something to be said about cooperation on a global scale. Students of different political affiliations, sexual orientations, and religions all participated in the drive. Maya said, “There were people that came and commented about Israelis raising money for Syrians, and our whole response to that was ‘this is exactly the point.’ Maybe it is ironic, but [people] should be encouraging it.”

Displaced Syrians are currently residing in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen, among other nations. About 4,400 Syrians flee their nation’s borders every day. 

Contact reporter Sarah Collins here. Follow her on Twitter here.