On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me … 12 cans of veggies…

Well, if the 12 is dropped and changed to as many cans as we can take up, then that is how the song will go at Co-Lin Natchez this December when we, along with the community, get together to help out the Natchez Food Pantry. The fundraising event is sponsored by the Student Government Association’s program, The 12 Days of Giving.

“Employees and students at Co-Lin are caring, inspired by a culture of generosity and giving back to their community,” said Dr. Arcola Sullivan SGA advisor. “Generous contributions by Co-Lin students and employees in the past warrant extending this civic activity to include the Miss-Lou community.”

Vera Wilkins, SGA sophomore representative, said she was looking forward to participating.

“It is going to be a lot of work, but well worth it for the potential payoff,” Wilkins said. “If we can get the community involved, we can get a very impressive return for our effort.”

These days of giving started Dec. 1 and continue until Dec. 16. The items to be collected on specific days are located in this article, and can also be heard on the First Natchez Radio Group’s stations during the day it will be presented.

Boxes will be located in both the career tech and academic lobbies at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Natchez. We also have barrels located in The Markets, including the Vidalia Market, for the convenience of the community. On the last day we will collect the goods and deliver them to the Natchez Food Pantry.

On any of the days bring in an item, or many, and leave it in one of our marked boxes.

“The smallest of effort from one individual adds to the greater good that the entire community can benefit from,” Wilkins said.

Even if you cannot keep track of what day is what item, we would still appreciate whatever you want to contribute. The days are meant to be a creative proposal, and should be used as a guideline for what to bring. They are not meant to be a barrier to prevent participation.

The 12 Days of Giving:

Day 1: Laundry day, Dec. 1: Detergent, bleach, fabric softener, etc.

Day 2: Hat, mitten, sock day: Dec. 2: Items for all ages.

Day 3: Snack day, Dec. 3: Crackers, cheese, cookies, juice, etc.

Day 4: Toiletries day, Dec. 4: Soap, deodorant, shampoo, etc.

Day 5: Soup day, Dec. 5: Canned or ready mix.

Day 6: Fruit day, Dec. 8: Canned or packaged.

Day 7: Paper products day, Dec. 9: Napkins, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.

Day 8: Quick meals day, Dec. 10: Hamburger meal mix, spaghetti, etc.

Day 9: Breakfast day, Dec. 11: Oatmeal, cereal, waffle mix, etc.

Day 10: Cleaning day, Dec. 12: Dish Liquids, bathroom cleaners, etc.

Day 11: Baking day, Dec. 15: Cake Mix, Flour, sugar, cookies, etc.

Day 12: Canned vegetables day, Dec. 16: Canned Vegetables.

Cain Madden is the SGA president at Co-Lin.