DANVILLE — Four Lakeview College of Nursing students are using their senior "legacy project" to assist abused women and their children and veterans in the area.

Weruche Uzoaru of Champaign, Sara Janes of Urbana, Jessica Rewarts of Royal and Ben Martin of Danville are collecting clothes and personal-care items through their Clothe and Care Campaign.

"By doing this, we want to provide people with warm clothing for the winter," Uzoaru said. "We also want to raise awareness about domestic violence and veterans' issues and hopefully draw more attention to those topics."

The students launched the campaign in October, placing drop-off boxes at their school at 903 N. Logan Ave., Provena United Samaritans Medical Center and the Towne Centre lobby in Danville and Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

"We want to collect as much as possible," Uzoaru said, adding the group has already collected 27 boxes of clothing and other items.

The group is asking for donations of new underwear and socks for adults and children; "gently used" clothing including coats, hats, gloves, scarves, boots and shoes; personal-care items including body wash, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste. It's also asking for stuffed animals for the children.

People can drop off donations at the college between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through Nov. 10. Then the students will sort the items and donate them to Crosspoint Human Services' Women's Shelter, the Veterans Affairs Illiana Healthcare Center and the Salvation Army in Danville.

"We hope we can make an impact in these people's lives," Uzoaru said.

The legacy project is a component of the college's professional seminar taken by seniors.

"It's designed to help them pull everything they've learned together and create a service project where they can give back to the community," said Mindy Herrin, an assistant professor and director of assessment. "Service learning is a value of the college. It's within our mission and vision.

"This just kind of reiterates what we've taught them, and they're in charge of it now," Herrin continued, adding students come up with and carry out the project, while she serves more as a facilitator.

Herrin said she has been amazed at students' projects this year. Among them are a food drive for the Eastern Illinois Food Bank, a Christmas gift collection for Salt & Light in Champaign, a baby supplies collection for the Crisis Nursery in Urbana, and a prom clothes and accessories collection for a pediatrics prom at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

She added another group just raised close to $5,000 for childhood genetic diseases through their Global Genes Project.

"The projects are a huge undertaking, but when they're over, the students feel very proud of what they've accomplished," Herrin said.

Maretta Withers, who supervises Crosspoint's domestic violence services, was thrilled to learn of the project.

"It will mean a lot to the women," Withers said, adding there currently 16 women and 24 children at the shelter, but the number varies. "A lot of times when they come here, they're having to escape a dangerous situation. So, they don't have time to go around packing things for themselves and their children.

"And many of these women are looking for jobs," Withers continued. "But they might not have any business clothes to wear on a job interview. These donations will be a big help."