September 28, 2009
In celebration of the feast of St. Vincent de Paul and in honor
of his spirit, a group of approximately 50 alumni joined a larger
crowd of volunteers, 1,600 strong, to take part in the
8th Annual University Service Day on Saturday, September 26,
2009.
Photo Gallery
In
preparation for the day ahead, volunteers gathered in Queens, at
Taffner Field House and in Staten Island, at the Campus Center Gym,
to be placed in teams for their various service projects. They had
breakfast together, received t-shirts with the tag line “What a
Difference a Day Makes” and spent time contemplating the life of
St. Vincent de Paul and the importance of service to others.
The two teams of Queens alumni were dispatched to St. Michael’s
Elementary School in Flushing and the Catholic Charities Senior
Center in Bayside. At the elementary school, alumni helped organize
and decorate the school for an event that would take place later
that day.
At the
senior center, alumni assisted with outdoor cleanup by gardening
and pruning the grounds. Eunice Suazo '86SVC, who participated on
the team with her husband Joe was proud that they could not only
lend a hand at the center but that their efforts would also impact
the residents. “It was really nice to see the garden transform from
before we started cleaning up to when we were ready to leave,” she
explained. “It was a huge difference and I really believe that the
seniors will get a little bit more enjoyment out of it.”
The team in Staten Island was assigned to Trinity Lutheran
Church, where they served food to area homeless and needy
individuals in a restaurant-style soup kitchen and also distributed
much needed food and supplies from the church food pantry to local
families. Participants were grateful for the opportunity to serve
others and some attributed a greater sense of appreciation for
their own families and jobs to their day of service.
Regardless of the projects in which they were involved, alumni
enjoyed the day’s activities and obtained great value in the
experience.
“I think having the annual service day is a great idea,” said
Rashida Bradley '05GEd. “There are so many people who experience
challenges in their life. God blesses us in order for us to
be a blessing to others.”
“I chose to volunteer because I believe in helping others,”
remarked Patricia McGuirren '96C, an English teacher at Benjamin
Cardozo High School who was inspired to continue the cycle of
service. “It is very important to give to others and to assist
those who are in need.” As a result of the day’s activities,
McGuirren plans on bringing her students to the senior center for
service in the future.
In addition to the projects that occurred within the greater New
York metropolitan area, several regional alumni chapters also took
part in the day by serving their local communities.
Read additional coverage about the
8th Annual University Service Day.