Campus book drive starts Monday

Phi Alpha Theta, Zeta Theta chapter, will organize a campus textbook drive to benefit Worldfund, a nonprofit organization seeking to transform lives in Latin America through high quality education, between Monday and Jan. 9.

The group will collect all textbooks and other college level texts published between 2001 and 2007.

An assessment by the U.S Agency for International Development reports that children in Latin America attend school an average of 5.4 years, stating that "the inferior quality of education impedes the ability of Latin America to move forward economically."

Organizers of the Worldfund book drive will collect used college-level books in green-and-white "Book Drive" collection bins on the OU campus at Dale Hall, Dale Hall Tower, Ellison Hall, Gould Hall and the Fine Arts Building.

Thanking the University of Oklahoma community for its support, Worldfund Founder Luanne Zurlo said, "By donating your books to benefit Worldfund, you will help individuals gain the education they need to lift themselves out of poverty."

In July 2006, Worldfund retained Better World Books as its premier agent to collect books on its behalf. Books collected for Worldfund will be sold online to generate a sustainable stream of unrestricted funding for the organization. Nationwide book drives since fall 2006 have raised $15,000 for Worldfund's programs. For more information, visit www.worldfund.org.

Diaper drive to help local families

The Center For Children and Families (CCFI) will host a holiday open house this morning, which will include a diaper drive to help Norman families in need. The goal is to collect more than 2,000 diapers of all sizes to assist CCFI clients through the holiday season.

The drive will be 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the CCFI office building, 1151 E Main St. in Norman. ?

CCFI is a local nonprofit organization that has been helping children and families for nearly 40 years. CCFI expects to have given out 20,000 diapers to needy families in the community by the end of 2007.

"Struggling families often have to make the decision between buying diapers or groceries at the end of the month," Executive Director Linda Terrell said. "We give out diapers so they won't need to make that choice."

The diaper drive is part of a University of Oklahoma student-run public relations campaign. Four students from a public relations class at OU formed a team called Creative Solutions Inc. and have been working on a semester-long campaign resulting in a diaper drive that will be featured during CCFI's holiday open house.? The students, Christine Miggins, Kylie Johnson, Melodi Smith and John Donat, are seniors graduating in December.?

The need for diapers is increasing during the winter months as bills increase. Currently CCFI is only able to offer each parent 8-12 diapers at a time, but the need is far greater than can be fully met. The public is invited to attend and is encouraged to bring diapers of any size to the open house.