College Honors Luke Tang '18 Through Winter Clothing Drive

Many at Harvard are mobilizing to simultaneously give back and pay tribute through a winter clothing drive in honor of Luke Z. Tang ’18, who passed away in September. The drive—organized jointly by Phillips Brooks House and the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter—is collecting winter clothing from students to donate to the homeless through Dec. 9.

Tang was a sophomore in Lowell House, and his sudden death in September shook Harvard on campus and beyond. The idea for a clothing drive to commemorate him originally came from Priscilla W. Guo ’18, one of Tang’s friends and a public service representative in Currier House.

“I felt that there should be something greater to remember him by, especially since he was always such a kind individual,” Guo said. “I wanted to honor his legacy of being caring towards others, and just giving back.”

Since Tang was a committed volunteer at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, Guo felt that collecting clothing for the homeless was particularly fitting. After bringing the idea to College administrators and getting permission from Tang’s parents, Guo worked with the Phillips Brooks Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship and the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, a PBHA organization, to turn the idea into reality.

Organizers said they publicized the clothing drive and mobilized each House’s public service representative in order to make the drive a campus-wide effort in the hopes of bringing the Harvard community together.

“This is a natural way of paying tribute to someone who was very involved in public service, and also doing good and bringing students together,” said Robert C. Julien, the service to society fellow at PBHA who served as the administrative coordinator of the effort.