Author: Facilities Communication

Human Resources’ Faculty and Staff Engagement team members volunteering at one of the outdoor donation collection sites during Patriot Packout 2024 on April 18 are pictured from left to right: Adrianne Jones, Andrew Lane, Stacey Ellis, Diane DiPietro, and Tamira Colbert.
Photo credit: Colleen Regan 

Mason Patriots, Engage with Patriot Packout 2024!  

Patriot Packout (PPO) is George Mason University’s annual, end-of-the-year donation initiative and it’s back from April 15 – May 10 at the Fairfax, Science and Technology, and Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation campuses.  

PPO collects new, like-new, and gently used donations during move-out and redirects them for free into the hands of Mason students, faculty, staff, and community members who need them.  

PPO is a success – year after year – because of volunteers. More than 45 volunteers collected, sorted, organized, and freely redistributed 5,700 pounds of donated items during PPO 2023! 

Human Resources’ Faculty and Staff Engagement Team (HR FSE team) chose to volunteer during this year’s PPO to highlight how faculty and staff can participate.  “Taking the time to step outside of our normal work tasks, to volunteer, allows us to feel an increased sense of connection to the larger Mason community," said Diane DiPietro, Faculty and Staff Engagement Assistant "It’s an opportunity to enhance our community well-being, further supporting our workplace engagement.”  

HR FSE team volunteers began their shift outside of Piedmont Hall, a residence hall with an indoor drop-off location, where they were greeted by Colleen Regan, Zero Waste Specialist with University Sustainability and Facilitator for Patriot Packout 2024.  

“I’ve seen an increase in faculty and staff volunteer participation during the past two years of Patriot Packout,” said Colleen. “This is crucial support that makes PPO’s free redistribution to Mason Patriots and on-campus resources possible since students are often not able to volunteer due to finals, move-out, and Commencement.” 

Colleen provided the team members with a brief overview of what to expect and then the group departed. The volunteers traveled on a pre-assigned route, checking PPO 2024’s residence hall lobby drop-off donation locations and outdoor drop-off donation locations. Volunteers collected donated items, organized donation boxes and bins, and added additional PPO promotional materials.  

Stacey Ellis, Faculty and Staff Engagement Program Manager shared that “Patriot Packout (PPO) is a testament to Mason's commitment to sustainability and community. By diverting usable items from the landfill and redistributing them to those in need, PPO empowers every Mason Patriot to make a meaningful impact, turning the busyness of move-out into an opportunity for generosity and environmental responsibility." 

Like the HR FSE team, faculty and staff members are encouraged to speak with their supervisor about volunteering during their work hours after referencing volunteering guidance.  

“We encourage Mason teams to volunteer together to support various initiatives on campus. It’s great quality time spent as a team while also giving back,” stated Andrew Lane, Director of Performance Management and Employee Engagement. 

Students and local community members are also invited to volunteer during PPO 2024. If you’re a student and you need to earn service-learning or volunteer hours, volunteering with PPO 2024 will count!  

All Mason Patriots are invited to donate or volunteer during Patriot Packout 2024! But you don’t have to volunteer or donate to make an impact. 

Here are some ways everyone can become Patriot Packout supporter: 

• Chat with your friends and colleagues about Patriot Packout 
• Post Patriot Packout flyers and share information on social media  
• Donate your new, like-new, and used items you no longer need 
• Volunteer with your friends and colleagues 

Explore Patriot Packout 2024’s webpage to learn more about accepted donations, donation locations, and volunteer opportunities: https://go.gmu.edu/PatriotPackout      

Patriot Packout 2024’s Mason partners include the Patriot Pantry, Trans Clothing Closet, Art Supply Sharing Closet, the First Gen+ Center, Parking and Transportation, INTO Mason, Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX), and Mason Dining’s collaboration with Move for Hunger, among others. Local community partners include the Committee for Helping Others, Food For Others, Immanuel’s Hope, Shelter House (Katherine Hanley), Women Giving Back, and the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, among others.