Adelphi Students Gives Back to the Community

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Nov. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- Three students from Adelphi University went to volunteer at the Garden Care Center, a progressive health care facility for senior citizens in Franklin Square, on Friday September 19, 2014. The service trip was a part of the AUcares Days of Service program, an initiative sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement and the Department of Public Safety, which hosts one off-campus community service trip a month in one of Adelphi’s surrounding communities.

Katie Montemoso ’18, Brian Valencia ’18 and Karina Nunez ’18 visited the residents during the recreational hours of the center. The recreation department of the Garden Care Center offers a variety of activities each day to keep them well-informed and engaged to maintain their cognitive health. The residents participate in an afternoon game session where the community comes together to enjoy an activity before breaking out for an afternoon snack. The students teamed up with Lucille Musto from the Garden Care Center to help the residents during their weekly word game.

“They like having young people around,” says Margarita Villa, director of recreation at the Garden Care Center. “Especially they enjoy it during the Holiday season. They love to see the school kids sing the Christmas Carol for them.”

During the snack break, the students got the opportunity to speak with each resident and learn about their lives. “The lady was so happy; she said she loved seeing young faces,” says Ms. Nunez, “she said seeing young faces remind her of when she was young. She really appreciated us being there and joked that when she was young, she would never do such volunteering.”

It was the first volunteering experience for Ms. Nunez who joined the program because her friend Katie. For Katie Montemoso, this wasn’t the first. She had been a part of Adelphi’s Freshman Community Action Program (FCAP) which gives incoming students the opportunity to participate in various volunteer and community service projects in the community prior to the start of classes. “I really liked my FCAP experience and I have decided to participate in all the volunteer experiences that I come across ever since. I like giving back,” says Ms. Montemoso.

Brian Valencia adds, “It was an eye-opening experience. We all hi-fived the residents and we had a good time. I will definitely do this again.” The volunteers really loved the experience and took volunteer application forms to go back to the center when possible.

The AUcares Days of Service program was established in 2012 to provide students an opportunity to engage in the community. “Students benefit from the program because they are able to learn about contemporary social issues outside of the classroom setting and get to experience meeting members of the local community outside of campus,”explainsAnna Zinko, senior assistant director of the Center for Student Involvement. “I think the community benefits by having our students assist with the important work these organizations are doing.”Some of the past service trips have included Hurricane Sandy clean-up efforts in Breezy Point, Island Park/Oceanside, Long Beach, and the Rockaways; trips to Habitat for Humanity; Shoes for All; the Ronald McDonald House; the Glory House and the Animal Lovers League.

To learn more about the civic engagement and service programs offered through the Center for Student Involvement, please visit http://csi.adelphi.edu.

About Adelphi University: Adelphi is a world-class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, College of Nursing and Public Health and the School of Social Work—the coeducational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 43 states and 45 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and its centers in Manhattan, Suffolk County, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies, in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.