Shop with a Bulldog (SWAB)

Shop with a Bulldog (SWAB) is a student-run 501 c3 non-profit at the University of Georgia. Each year we partner with elementary schools throughout Athens-Clarke County to organize an annual Event Day. On Event Day, UGA students and participating children spend a day together shopping, wrapping gifts, and enjoying fun activities. With the money raised by UGA students and the Athens community, each child can spend $120 on items they need and want. We hope for Event Day to be a positive, annual event where people from across the community can come together to celebrate and learn from one another. Every year we strive to have a lasting relationship with the Athens-Clarke county elementary school system. We constantly communicate with the schools' family engagement specialists to organize the logistics of Event Day. Each family engagement specialist can invite a certain number of children depending on the number of participating mentors and the amount of money raised. Depending on the school, family engagement specialists invite children based on financial need or academic achievement. At the event, family engagement specialists help check-in and monitor children. Our event would not be possible without the collaboration of the community and the elementary school system. Aside from our relationship with the Athens school system, we yearn to maintain relationships with local businesses, and we aim to strengthen our community engagement every year. We have implemented a Sponsorship program to improve our presence within the community. An essential part of our mission is to celebrate the value of community, so we want to involve as many local businesses as possible.