As the holidays approach and the fall semester wraps up at Skidmore College, the flurry of activity on campus includes a concerted effort by students, faculty, and staff to help those in need in the surrounding communities.
The lead program in this effort is Skidmore Cares, a campus-wide endeavor that has collected and delivered 900 food items, more than $800, and a wide array of school supplies at a time when many local families are feeling the economic pinch.
The Student Athlete-Advisory Committee coordinated the fund raising, while members of the men's ice hockey and lacrosse teams packed and delivered collected items.
The three beneficiaries of the Skidmore Cares food drive are the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity
Men's hockey and lacrosse players help deliver for Skidmore Cares
Council (EOC), the Franklin Community Center, and the Salvation Army. Cash donations, largely from Skidmore students, have been given to Mary’s Haven, a local Hospice home. School supplies have been delivered to the Corinth School District and to the EOC’s Latino Community Advocacy Program, for instruction in English as a second language.
Skidmore Cares was launched in 2006 by Skidmore President Philip A. Glotzbach and his wife, Marie, to enhance the meaning of the annual campus holiday gathering at Scribner House, the president’s home. Faculty, staff, and their families dropped off their donations in a sleigh on the front yard when they attended the open house on Sunday, December 13. For those unable to attend the event, the sleigh was available for “drive-by” donations over the weekend.
“Skidmore Cares builds on the heritage of being a good neighbor and encourages participation in a program that will result in a collective Skidmore contribution to the greater Saratoga Springs region,” said Marie Glotzbach, who spearheads the effort. “The program enhances the meaningfulness of the spirit of the season at our annual college gathering. It is especially important to us to give back to our community during these tough economic times.”
Skidmore Cares organizers contacted the food banks in advance, asking for a list of items considered crucial to their operations, and the drive targeted those areas. Groupings of employees and students, each headed by campus representatives, or “cheerleaders,” were assigned specific items and goals.
The student component of the program, organized by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, focused on raising cash.
For more information on Skidmore Cares visit
www.skidmore.edu/skidmorecares.