After a successful effort last semester, Student Life and the childcare center at the college are teaming up again to provide healthy snacks for the children who attend the center.

From Feb. 6-17, there will be a school-wide snack drive to collect healthy snacks for the children in the Child and Family Center at Madison College. State budget cuts last year eliminated $60,000 from the Child and Family Center’s budget. Forced to scale back significantly, the five-star accredited daycare could no longer afford to provide lunches and snacks for the kids.

The responsibility of providing nutritious and delicious meals for the children has been put upon the parents. Unfortunately, most of the parents of the children in the Child and Family Center are students at Madison College and are usually busy and strapped for cash. While the parents have managed to provide good lunches for their kids, they can’t always afford to provide snacks on a daily basis.

“I’m so glad we have the Child and Family Center here at MATC to help kids receive a quality education, but frustrated that the politics of the time have limited what the center can do for kids,” said Erin Jones, a Madison College student. Jones, a full-time student, has a part time job in order to support her 4-year old son who attends the day-care.

“As the center continues to provide such important services for the families at MATC it would be wonderful for the college’s community to do what they can for this wonderful group of kids by donating healthy snacks,” Jones said.

Student Life is making it as convenient as possible for anyone to help out. Barrels will be located at both the Truax and Downtown campuses to accept donations. Even the bookstore is chipping in. If someone donates in the bookstore they will receive a coupon redeemable for 15 percent off any item of clothing in the bookstore.

Donating snacks helps the staff ensure that those kids receive healthy snacks while at the center, but also ensures that the center doesn’t have to cut back in other areas, according to the center’s staff. By not having to spend extra funds on food, the educators at the Child and Family Center can give the kids other opportunities and activities that they otherwise might miss.

Last semester the children at the center were so thankful that they made cards and posters for the students to show their gratitude. Johanna Hewitt, the student ambassador spearheading the operation, mentioned that while they are making a concerted effort to collect food within the next two weeks, the center accepts donations year round. “If kids need help, you just got to help them,” Hewitt said.