The Notre Dame Staff Advisory Council (SAC) is sponsoring and hosting a campus-wide book drive now through Friday to benefit El Campito and Robinson Community Learning Center.
"This is the first time we have sponsored this, and we have had a positive response already from employees on campus," Jan Solkey, co-chair of SAC, said.
The bins to drop the books off will be in O'Shaughnessy Hall, LaFortune Student Center, Hammes Bookstore, Grace Hall and Hesburgh Library.
The SAC asks people to "bring new and gently used books for elementary age children."
There is a need for bilingual books for children between two and five years, cardboard books for younger children and books for school-age children.
According to the El Campito website, the non-profit community-based organization was founded in 1970 to welcome the children of migrant workers to a new home. The organization provided the children with an opportunity to create a better life for themselves through education and learning.
El Campito works to ensure every child in St. Joseph County has the opportunity to receive a quality early childhood education. It has various programs that involve child development, after school programs and parents as teachers.
According to the Robinson Center's website, the organization was started in 2001 as an off-campus educational initiative of the President's Office at the University in partnership with Northeast Neighborhood of South Bend. The Center conducts various programs including Take Ten, youth and adult programs and literacy programs.
The SAC will have an upcoming promotion of collecting soda can tabs to benefit the Ronald McDonald House and Riley Children's Hospital later this year.
For more information on El Campito and the Robinson Center, view their websites atelcampito.org and rclc.nd.edu
