Jill Noel, UNICEF club sponsor

Q: What is the club doing currently doing?

A: We’re doing a donation drive for the Ukrainian children that have been affected by the war. We are accepting new and used stuffed animals and blankets. We are going to end this around April 22, (however) we can continue to accept stuffed animals if more students want to bring them in. Around the first week of May, I’m going to load all the items with my helpers. We are going to rent a big truck and take it to Grace Church, and then it’s all going to be shipped to Hungary, Poland or Ukraine.

Q: What inspired this stuffed animal drive?

A: I was sitting on the couch right after the war had started, and I was watching the news. I kept seeing these little children that were literally being taken out of their houses because they had to evacuate, and they didn’t have anything. It just broke my heart, and I sat there and cried. I talked to the UNICEF officers, and we just decided that this would be a good thing to do for those kids because, like I said, they have nothing.

Q: How can students participate and contribute?

A: There’s blue boxes throughout the building (to put donations in.) There’s one at the entrance to the freshman center, one at Door 4 and two at the natatorium entrance.

Parisa Shirani, Educate Officer

Q: Can you give me an overview of UNICEF?

A: UNICEF is a branch of the United Nations that’s focused on delivering resources to children in less fortunate circumstances around the world. Whether that means educational resources, disaster relief or anything else, it’s focused on getting necessary items to children in less developed areas.

Q: What are some of your future events?

A: We’re having Rep. Victoria Spartz come down and talk, and we might have Channel Four air a segment on us (for our donation drive). That’s definitely the biggest thing we have going on. But in addition to that, we also want to stick to what we normally do and have another Give-Back Night and a Kid Power event.

Q: Why are UNICEF events important?

A: We are in a community that provides us with so much, and we should use this circumstance to help children who are not in the best climate. With so much going on right now, it is very important to stay focused and realize that, while you may get in disagreements about things that are happening, it’s really important to take a step back and see that there are children and innocent bystanders that are affected by this. There is always going to be someone in need, and we should strive to help those in not the best situation.