From helping to launch rubber ducks for a fundraiser to preparing brunch for the homeless, more than 200 Siena students joined in Siena Serves Day of Service 2016 to make an impact on the community.
“We had a terrific day out,” said Adam Casler, director of community living at Siena and organizer of the Oct. 8 event. “Everything went off without a hitch and the students loved their experiences.”
Siena Serves Day of Service 2016 placed students who wanted to volunteer for a day in the Capital Region at a variety of sites where they can help others. This year’s event featured 27 different choices of activities.
The Duck Derby was one of the most popular sites. This fundraiser for the Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region was held on the Mohawk River in Scotia. Donors adopted a rubber duck that was then raced against its yellow fellows.
Other students prepared Saturday brunch at the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless in downtown Albany, while some got their hands dirty harvesting produce at the Patroon Land Farm, owned by the Northeast Regional Food Bank. Some helped sort donations made to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities residences, St. Peter’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and many other organizations all benefitted from Siena’s special day out.
Siena wasn’t the only Franciscan college that joined in these charitable efforts to honor the life and work of St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast day is Oct. 4. All 24 member schools of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities (AFCU) are providing service and outreach in their communities during October.
Established in 1997, the AFCU seeks to nurture collaboration among academic institutions committed to the Catholic and Franciscan spiritual and intellectual traditions. They also promote scholarship and curricula that, in keeping with the vocations of St. Francis and St. Clare, address the needs of the poor, attend to the environment and promote peace.
