Along with other members of the Black Affairs Council, SIUC senior Jason Irvin helped start off the holiday season by giving, not receiving.

Irvin assisted in handing out Christmas gifts to Carbondale children at the Eurma Hayes Community Center in Carbondale on Saturday, through a program sponsored by the council.

Gwen Fleming, council member, said the children received a variety of gifts ranging from CD players, remote control cars, dolls and books.

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Irvin, said the children were appreciative of the gifts they received.

They were very grateful, Irvin said. They were very surprised at the items they received. You can see the kids really like the gifts.

Council and its umbrella organizations sponsor children ages 5 to 14.

The council sponsors six children through the program, and 60 children altogether are involved in the year-round annual program, which is 4-years-old, Fleming said.

Irvin said the council also participates in tutoring programs, taking the children to movies and basketball games.

Irvin said the main reason for the program is to provide the children with mentors.

We want to give guidance, Irvin said. Some of the children’s lives aren’t pleasant, we don’t want them to make bad decisions, so we provide mentorship for the children. We go out and spend time with the kids and play with them and talk to them. We want to provide role models through their pre-adolescent development.

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Fleming said the program benefits the council and its umbrella organizations as well as the children.

It gives us an opportunity to interact with the children, she said. It offers them (the children) someone to look up to. It’s an opportunity for us to go to the center and give back to the children and spend time with them. I think it’s a positive program and they like it a lot.

Irvin said sponsoring the children gives the organization an opportunity to assist in the community.

It’s our way of serving the community as well as the campus. It’s our way of giving back to the community.