The Elon community came together to convert The Zone into a makeshift daycare center Friday in Moseley Center. Details...
Student volunteers supervised 18 children who watched videos and played computer games while their parents worked as local schools remained closed due to a severe ice storm.
Director of Student Activities Barb Carlton says the daycare is the joint effort of Student Life, student volunteers, Human Resources and ARAMARK food services. Human Resources paid for the food provided by ARAMARK, and Student Activities pitched in with help from many student volunteers. “It’s going really well,” said Carlton, who also came in on Thursday to watch children for those employees who had to work. Carlton’s husband, Nigel, also came in to help.
Junior Sarah Slater, who works with the Student Union Board, stopped by to work with the children. “They needed people, and I had time,” she said as she passed out hot dogs and french fries to the kids. “They want just french fries, and I’m like, ‘No, you have to have a meal!'”
Senior Sarah Steudler, an SGA senator, came by to help keep the children busy.”I knew they needed volunteers, and I only have one class today,” she said.
Junior Jamie Wiener, a human services major, is no stranger to working with children. She is the Elon Volunteers! coordinator for Family Abuse Services. “We’ve playing Monopoly and watching movies and coloring,” she said.
Michele Gregoire, administrator of communications management, brought her son, Daniel, to The Zone on Friday. She stopped by at noon to have lunch with him, but he was busy playing games on Playstation. “He said,’I am not leaving. Go back to work!'” she said. “He’s having a great time!”