SFA student organizations donate approximately 1,000 books to area children

Stephen F. Austin State University's Jacks Council on Family Relations and Residence Hall Association recently donated approximately 1,000 books to the Greater East Texas Community Action Program Head Start and Early Head Start. Pictured, from left, are Adrian Gutierrez, SFA child development and family living senior and Jacks Council on Family Relations president; Vanessa Thorn, SFA child development and family living senior and JCFR member; Dr. Jennifer Newquist, SFA assistant professor of child development and family living, who supervised the book drive; Dian Wise, GETCAP Head Start education coordinator; Shannon White, ISD education coordinator for GETCAP Head Start; and Shanté Teal, ISD education coordinator for GETCAP Early Head Start.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin State University's Jacks Council on Family Relations and Residence Hall Association recently donated approximately 1,000 books to Greater East Texas Community Action Program Head Start and Early Head Start.

During the past few weeks, the two organizations planned the book drive on campus and throughout the Nacogdoches community and collected books to benefit area children in the GETCAP program.

Representatives from GETCAP Head Start and Early Head Start visited campus Wednesday, April 27, to collect the books. Dian Wise, GETCAP Head Start education coordinator, was overwhelmed and excited to receive them.

"We are very thankful," Wise said. "We really appreciate the collaboration and the good partnership we have with SFA. These books will make a huge difference for the children involved."

SFA child development and family living senior and JCFR president Adrian Gutierrez also was on hand to help distribute the books.

"We are always looking for service opportunities, and this book drive was amazing. It has really grown a lot since last year," Gutierrez said. "Helping out and working with children are my passions, so I'm very excited the children will get these books to read, and it is really going to impact them in the long run. I'm excited to see where this program goes in the future."