 |
 |
|
Please send comments,
questions, and suggestions
about Oberlin Online news
and feature articles to
online.news@oberlin.edu.
Oberlin College Santas Buy Books for Local Elementary School Children
DECEMBER 09, 2002--Two groups at Oberlin College are working to make the holiday season brighter for beginning readers as well as local families in need.
First-graders at Oberlin’s Eastwood Elementary School could be the gleeful recipients of new books during the holiday season thanks to a Giving Tree erected by the Student Friends of the Library.
"Eastwood Principal Tracey Frierson and the first-grade teachers are very excited about the Giving Tree," says coordinator Maria Esguerra ‘02, library diversity associate, who initiated the project as an outreach program for the student group. Working with her is IMLS Diversity Fellow Rebecca Thompson, senior classics major from Westerville, Ohio.
"It’s a great way for students, faculty, and staff to encourage kids at the early stages of their reading process as well as give back to the community," says Esguerra. "We have 64 children on our list and hope everyone in the college will want to help out in this way."
The first-graders are penciling in their names and interests on cards that will be hung on a tree near the main entrance of Mudd Center. A sponsor may pick a card from the tree--which will be in place Friday, December 5, along with guidelines--buy a book, and leave it unwrapped in a drop-off box near the tree by December 18.
Members of Student Friends of the Library will wrap the books and distribute them to the first-graders before their holiday vacation begins, says Esguerra. The campus group also would welcome gift wrapping supplies donations, she adds.
Oberlin’s Student Union is sponsoring an Angel Tree in its lobby to benefit local families through Oberlin Community Services.
"Select a family-member tag from the tree and purchase clothing and gifts for local people in need," says coordinator Kathleen Drennan. "Tags have sizes and wishes to help make shopping easy. It's fun! Gifts wrapped or unwrapped are due by midnight on December 12 to give us time to take the packages to the Community Center."
The Wilder lobby is open from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Media Contact: Betty Gabrielli
       |