Young alumni couple who received care packages as students goes all in on assembly this year
March 13, 2026 — During the second year of the Alumni Care Package project in 2015, the care package Alex Price ’15 received included a photo of an alum’s pet.
The package was unsigned, so Price didn’t know who sent it. Fast forward three years later when Price was working on a fellow alum’s political campaign. One day he met her dogs, and one looked familiar.
“About the time a Facebook memory popped up from three years earlier, and I figured out it was the same alum who had sent the package,” he says. “That was something unexpected, but those are the connections we can make [through the program]. I really like that about the care package project.”
Alex Price ’15 hands a student one of the care packages Feb. 24 during the first distribution day.
Now living in Coralville, Alex and Eleanor Price ’14 have gone from early student recipients of care packages to substantial alumni supporters of the project. They coordinated with the Grinnell-in-the Corridor Regional Network to assemble and deliver 372 care packages.
“I really love the project,” Eleanor says. “The first year we got a note that we had a package and the mail room staff handed us one. It was really cool. The thing I instantly liked about it was that everyone got taken care of. We were trading and people were leaving some of the items in lounges. It gave us this overall sense of community and care. I think it’s one of the cooler traditions, and I really hope it continues for a long time. It’s a great way to connect current students with alumni. It’s one of the forms of giving where you feel a direct impact.”
The Alumni Care Package project was launched in 2014 by a group of alums on the Everyday Class Notes (ECN) Facebook page. Alums were reminiscing about the old Carnegie Hall mailroom where some of them received notes or small gifts from prior mailbox owners, then paid it forward by sending something to the new mailbox owner after they graduated.
Now in its 12th year, the project – which previously was called ECN Care Packages – is aimed at sending every Grinnell student a package in the depths of Iowa’s winter.
This year students picked up 1,193 care packages. The packages were displayed on several long tables at the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center (JRC) and distributed to students Feb. 24-25. Students could select any care package they wanted, and alumni volunteers added new packages to refresh the offerings throughout the two days. On the first day alone, 770 students came in to select a care package.
Eleanor Price ’14 helps a student find a care package. If the students had something particular in mind, the Prices knew just where to find it.
“I love how creative alums are with the packages,” Eleanor says. “There’s a care package over there that says ‘mystery warning: contains body parts.’ I don’t know what that means, but it’s one of those ‘there’s a lid for every pot’ kind of things – there’s something for everyone.”
The Grinnell-in-the-Corridor Regional Network includes alums from the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids areas. The Prices had a couple of Zoom meetings to discuss coordination and held a packaging event on Jan. 18 where they assembled 200 packages. Jeffrey Fields ’90, Kristine Williams ’92, and Gary Wilson ’66 helped with the packages and delivery to Grinnell.
“What was great about it is we [Alex and I] felt comfortable jumping in and saying, ‘this would be perfect. These things go together,’” Eleanor said “What was great about it is we felt comfortable jumping in and saying this would be perfect. These things go together,” Eleanor says. “There are other people who wanted to participate but didn’t know what to do for the packages. We were trying to find ways to lower barriers to participation. So we told people if you can come help pack, that’s amazing. If you can come bring stuff, that’s amazing. If you want to drop stuff off, that’s amazing. If you want to buy something from the wish list, that’s amazing and thank you. We aimed to make it feel more approachable, so more people could get involved.”
Packing parties for care packages have popped up elsewhere, too. Margo Gray ’05 organized an assembly care package event on Feb. 8 at the Hosmer Library in Minneapolis. Alums assembled snack bags, wrote encouraging notes, made friendship bracelets to include in the packages, and collected additional supplies. Gray has led Team Rainbow’s efforts the past few years to assemble LGBTQIA+-themed care packages.
The Grinnell-in-the-Corridor care packages had both general and specific themes. Many of them had a cold drink tumbler or a mug with a bunch of packets of hot cocoa, coffee, or tea. The packages also contained activities such as puzzles, coloring books, and colored pencils. They also had snacks and self-care items like nail care kits.
This year students picked up 1,193 care packages that were on display in a room inside the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center.
Among the specific themed packages, one contained the game Hot Takes along with Hot Tamales rubber ducks and candy. During one shopping trip, the Prices found an Arizona Tea game that looked like the iced tea cans. So, they put that in a bag with actual cans of Arizona Tea.
Eleanor teaches English and Germany at Washington High School in Washington, Iowa, while Alex is assistant manager for the University of Iowa Housing and Dining. Alex decided to make a D-Hall (dining hall) themed care package and asked his student employees what they would want to receive.
“They said hand cream, so he got hand cream, hand masks, and fidgets for the D-Hall themed package,” Eleanor says. “We also very randomly found a set of ketchup, Jello, and mac-and-cheese games, so we put in with them ketchup flavored chips, mac-and-cheese, and Jello. It was a fascinating thrift find. We had a lot of fun with it.”
Alex and Eleanor were also among the alumni volunteers that helped with distribution on campus. If there was something the students were looking for in particular, the Prices knew just where to find it in the piles of care packages.
“I think the Alumni Care Package project is a really good way for alums to connect with current Grinnellians and let them know that we are here and we care,” Alex says.
—by Jeremy Shapiro
For your information:
Alumni interested in sending care packages next year can join the Facebook group dedicated to the project. The Facebook site also has numerous photos and discussions about this year’s packages.
To read more alumni news, check out our news archive and like the Alumni & Friends Facebook page.