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COVID Impacts Philanthropic Arm of Monmouth's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee

Monmouth, IL (11/05/2020) — Temperature checks, quarantine, isolation and remote learning have all become a part of life on college campuses during the pandemic, but for the Monmouth College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) there's also been the loss of reaching into the community.

SAAC's philanthropy has annually offered a variety of services to the Monmouth area community. Trick or Treat on Seventh Street, the canned food drive in conjunction with the Midwest Conference's Canned Food Challenge, and the Angel Tree to benefit special needs residents in the area have all been lost this fall due to the pandemic.

"Unfortunately, that's the situation the world is facing right now," said Brian Jordan, Monmouth's tennis coach who serves as the SAAC advisor with volleyball head coach Emily Thebeau. "The fall has become our season of 'giving back,' but the pandemic shut that down. Our student-athletes probably look forward to Trick or Treat on Seventh Street more than any other activity we have. It's been a chance for them to pass out candy and see the community's kids decked out in Halloween costumes."

While neighborhood kids missed out on candy, the Jamieson Community Center Food Pantry also took a hit. The cancellation of the fall sports seasons effectively canceled the MWC's annual food drive, hitting home at the Jamieson Center where the need continues to rise and the donation protocol has changed.

"We always accept monetary donations, but we're currently not accepting actual canned goods as donations," explained Nancy Mowen, executive director of the Jamieson Center. "Due to the number of hands a canned good donation would have to come in contact with, we're suggesting monetary donations instead. We get special pricing when we purchase, so the monetary donations go much farther and reach more people than an actual canned item."

Between actual canned goods and monetary donations to the Jamieson Food Pantry, Monmouth's SAAC has donated nearly 1,000 canned goods in each of the last six years. Jordan explained that another SAAC staple, the annual Angel Tree to provide Christmas presents to local special needs residents, has also fallen victim.

"The Angel Tree is something we do right after Thanksgiving," he said. "Due to the altered class schedule for the fall semester, students won't return to campus after Thanksgiving. That, coupled with the need to social distance and limit heavy traffic in the office, means we won't be able to have an Angel Tree this year."

SAAC's winter event, Special Olympics basketball, is also in jeopardy.

"We'd like to do it, but it's not looking promising," admitted Jordan of the annual practice game. "Our plan at this point is to hold off and wait until next season. Our SAAC kids really enjoy these events, but they understand the safety issue and are taking it in stride. We're basically in what we hope is a one-year hiatus. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we can get back to our fall season of giving next year."

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