Learning center driven to help the community
Kiddie Academy of N.B. holds holiday toy, winter wear, blood drives
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

Kiddie Academy, located on Route 1 in North Brunswick, held a food drive last month for the Agape House Shelter in Somerville. Seen here is less than one-third of the donations collected.

NORTH BRUNSWICK - Although their stature may be small, the hearts of the children at Kiddie Academy on Route 1 are huge, as the child-care learning center is coordinating community service endeavors throughout the month of December.

"Community service needs to start when children are little. Giving and sharing needs to start when children are young," said Director Seema Singal.

During the first week of December, Kiddie Academy will set up a Giving Tree with ornaments labeled for donations of mittens or hats needed for the homeless. Diane Schwartzer, one of the infant room teachers, will transport the items to the Agape House Shelter in Somerville.

Pajama Day will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for a $5 donation. The money will go toward the society's research, patient and education programs as well as curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma.

"It's fun for the children, but at the same time, they're helping the community by doing it," Singal said.

There will also be a drive for new, unwrapped toys to be brought to Saint Peter's Children's Hospital in New Brunswick. Through Dec. 20, the toys can be dropped off at Sinha Dentistry at 650 Easton Avenue in Somerset or at Kiddie Academy.

Singal said although the preschoolers don't always understand why they need to give toys away instead of keeping them, as they see the toys, they learn that the reason is to help others.

"They become aware of why others need toys," Singal said.

In addition, a blood drive will be held in the parking lot on Dec. 20 from 2 to 6 p.m. by the New York Blood Company.

Kiddie Academy also held its annual Thanksgiving Day food drive for the Agape House in mid-November. Baskets were placed in front of each classroom for nonperishable food items, which parents donated. Singal said that just a few cans from each of the 180 registered families caused Schwartzer to make three of four trips with a full carload of items.

Singal also mentioned how Ashley Siegel, an 18-year-old teacher from the day-care center, went to New York last year and handed out jackets directly to the homeless which she collected from the learning center staff.

Kiddie Academy's efforts are part of the Giving & Sharing program in which teachers use their circle times to teach the young children about giving to others, which is then reinforced by parents at home.

"If we start to do this when they're children, it becomes part of their habit," Singal said.

Singal's motive is not just to promote Kiddie Academy, she said, but to involve other organizations in her volunteer efforts as well.

"If all the preschools join hands together, we can guarantee that at least North Brunswick will be a very good place to live," she said. "Sometimes what people feel is that day care is for well-to-do families. Their children have so much so we need to step up to help others," she said.

Residents who do not have children at the child-care center are able to participate in some of the volunteer efforts. For more information, call (732) 940 - 9392. Kiddie Academy is located at 2239 Route 1 south in Commerce Plaza.