From Sept. 26 to Oct. 31, the Staff Senate committee, or AppKIDS, is hosting a drive to collect hygiene and snack items to donate to underprivileged children in Watauga County.

AppKIDS, which will occur on Nov. 30, is an annual event in which the committee provides underprivileged children with clothes, food and donated items, according to the Staff Senate website.

Prior to the AppKIDS event, the hygiene and snack food drive will collect those items and monetary donations.

“For many years, about three-fifths of the money we raised comes from faculty and staff donating money,” Ziegler said. “We have many different fundraisers throughout the year.”

The committee spreads the word about the donation process through emails and sending out collection envelopes to staff at App State, as well as to local area churches and businesses.

The monetary donations are used to fund the shopping event that occurs on AppKIDS day.

The committee is shifting away from school supplies and is now putting a focus on hygiene items, healthy food options and recyclable tote bags, Ziegler said.

“A couple of us were getting word that the outpouring from the community for other school supply efforts were so successful that the children involved in AppKIDS were getting more supplies than they could use,” Ziegler said.

However, Ziegler and other committee members were told by school counselors that students were still in need of new shoes, hygiene items and healthy snacks.

AppKIDS has a long history in Watauga County. It was started in 1980 by a civic organization called the Boone Jaycees, Andrea Mitchell said. Mitchell was a member on the committee for over 30 years.

If anyone would like to give monetary donations to AppKIDS, checks must be made payable to ASU Foundation, with “AppKIDS donation” in the memo line, and dropped off in the Staff Senate ASU box.

Story by Cameron Stuart

Photo courtesy of Cathy Ziegler 

Featured photo caption: A box full of donations for the APPKids Hygiene and Snack Drive. Acceptable donations include items like shampoo, toothpaste and snack foods for kids.