Logan's Bunny Fund Benefits Local Children - by Terri Campbell

Every semester, associate professor of English Jeneece Bishop involves students in her English classes in a charitable project aimed at helping area children. This spring, Bishop's students organized a project called the Bunny Fund and distributed Easter baskets to children in need.

"The students did a great job raising money so we could buy Easter bunnies, baskets, activity books, crayons, and other novelty items," Bishop said. "We then assembled all the items and took them to several local children's charities. We also delivered baskets to the pediatric units at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and Heartland Regional Medical Center."

While the main goal of the Bunny Fund was to make the Easter holiday brighter for needy children in southern Illinois, Bishop thinks the students who participated in the project benefited as well.

"I've always had the philosophy that I'm here not only to teach the students academically, but also to help them grow socially," she explained. "I think getting involved with community projects is very important."

Bishop is pleased with the success of the Bunny Fund and gives the credit to her students.

"My students don't receive extra credit or anything like that for participating in the project," she said. "It's strictly a volunteer effort. They do this out of the goodness of their hearts. It was their hard work and the generous donations we received that helped make a lot of children happy this Easter."