BATON ROUGE - More than 100 students are still living on campus at Southern University.

Members of the New Gideon Baptist Church surprised the students Monday, April 13 with over 100 care packages full of essential items that they can use while staying inside of their dorms, avoiding the pandemic.

The care packages included laundry detergent, bottles of water, snacks, laundry detergent, hand soap, and gift cards.

"Different things like that just to make sure we can take that extra worry away from the students and the community. We wanted to make sure that we reach out to them," organizer Anthony Jackson said.

Having these essential items delivered to the students allows them to stay inside during the virus outbreak, reducing contact with others, keeping them safe.

"Keep us prepared and safe from all the sicknesses and germs they've got going around," law student Chris Martin said.

The bag off necessities was dropped off right to his dorm.

Some students had nowhere else to go once classes were moved online, other students, like Martin, chose to stay at school because their home towns have high numbers of coronavirus cases.

"It's a lot safer here that New Orleans," Martin said.

Students will be staying in their dorms on Southern University's campus until the semester ends, then, they will have to move back home.