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A brand new event focused on community reuse and sustainability will be hosted at Montcalm Community College, just outside of the annual Heritage Festival. 

MCC's Green Council will host its first Give & Get Event on Friday, Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Robert E. Marston Pavilion on MCC's Sidney campus. Paired alongside the annual festival, this community event will accept donations of gently used items that can be easily transported home and is especially welcoming donations of back-to-school supplies, children's books, toys, clothing and professional and workplace attire. The Green Council will also welcome donations of small household items, knick-knacks and entertainment items, such as puzzles and board games. 

MCC Natural Sciences Department Chair Heather Wesp, who founded the Green Council in 2025 and serves as its Education and Outreach Coordinator, said this Give & Get event is hopefully the first of many. 

"We discussed several iterations of this event, from something happening later in the fall to something aimed at our college students but in the end, we settled on an event that would help our students indirectly and directly by providing K-14 school supplies, as well as clothing to help students interview and dress professionally if needed at places of employment," Wesp said. "We hope that partnering with Heritage Festival will help raise awareness and participation." 

Donations will start at 10 a.m., and those who donate will receive early access to items. Participants will be allowed to pick out as many items as they can fit in an MCC-provided box or bag. The event will open to everyone, including those who do not bring donations, starting at 11 a.m. At 2:30 p.m., there will be a final free-for-all, where limits are removed, and participants may select any remaining items for the final 30 minutes. 

While many of these items would normally end up at a second-hand store, Wesp said the Green Council intentionally aimed away from this as a community swap event to emphasize the culture of sustainability and giving items a second home — a main mission and purpose of the Green Council. 

"This is an opportunity to get a variety of items, at no cost, in one convenient location," Wesp said. "Folks are welcome to come and just get what they need. Many items that end up in the trash could be reused and repurposed, reducing the environmental impacts of landfills. The goal of this event is to promote sustainable actions while also supporting our students and community."