siena college academic community engagement newsletter

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1 DEEPSERVICE May/June 2011 A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Siena College Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy’s Office of Academic Community Engagement In This Issue ACE Banquet Highlights Bonner Endowment Celebration Siena Celebration of Academic Excellence VISTA Service Stories Siena Civic Engagement Camp Upcoming Partner Events

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The Siena College Academic Community Engagement News Magazine features Siena College undergraduates, postgraduates, faculty, staff, and community partners involved in ACE campus-community development.

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Page 1: Siena College Academic Community Engagement Newsletter

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DEEPSERVICE May/June 2011A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Siena College Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy’s Office of Academic Community Engagement

In This Issue

• ACE Banquet Highlights• Bonner Endowment Celebration• Siena Celebration of Academic Excellence• VISTA Service Stories• Siena Civic Engagement Camp• Upcoming Partner Events

Page 2: Siena College Academic Community Engagement Newsletter

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VISTA Leader Nefisah Sallim and VISTA Fellow Victoria

Malaney during a VISTA recruitment tabling event at

Skidmore College.

Contents

Stay in Touch with ACE Online!www.siena.edu/ace

Upcoming Happenings for ACE

Activities and classes are winding down with the end of the Spring semester here at Siena College, but this time of year is the busiest time of year for the Office of Academic Community Engagement. All of our programs are in full swing preparing for a new cycle of service and civic engagement.

Our Summer Service Associates Program recruited and hired positions for this summer. With almost all of our indirect positions filled, we are looking forward to be partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany, Grand Street Community Arts, Music Mobile, Office of Academic Community Engagement, and U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. We are very excited to welcome them to the team!

The AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows Program has been actively recruiting new Fellows for the 2011-2012 service year. At the end of April, candidates went through preliminary interviews and then speed interviews with community partners. We are excited to report that we had another high quality group of applicants this year. Fellows will start their service year July 25 with national training in Philadelphia and return for local training at Siena College the following week.

The Bonner Service Leaders Program is busy planning the Summer Leadership Institute, which will be held May 31-June 1, 2011. Over 60 colleges in the Bonner network will be participating and workshops will be offered to faculty, administrators, and students. Many of our program participants will be leading workshops and facilitating a two-day service track for Bonner students in attendance.

ACE is offering a Civic Engagement Camp for local area high school students interested in service-learning. Sessions will be held in July and registration is currently open on our website. We’re planning to provide a fun summer of opportunities that will engage and open the minds of high school students looking to make a difference in their communities.

Our newsletter is full of stories and more happenings within the Office of Academic Community Engagement. Please enjoy and thanks for reading.

- Jennifer Simek, AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader

2011 ACE Banquet RecapPage 3

$1 Million Dollar

Bonner Endowment

Page 4

Academic Celebration of ExcellencePage 5

Siena VISTA Spotlight: Girl’s Day and MorePage 6 - 9

ASL Spotlight & Civic Engagement CampPage 10

Upcoming Partner Events

Page 11

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VISTA Leader Nefisah Sallim and

VISTA Fellow Victoria Malaney

during a VISTA recruitment tabling event at Skidmore

College.

Type to enter text

2011 ACE BanquetThe 2nd Annual DEEP Service Banquet a Night to RememberBy Nefisah Sallim, AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader

On Monday, May 2nd, 2011 the Office of Academic Community Engagement hosted its 2nd Annual DEEP Service Banquet. The purpose of this banquet was to bring together all the players who have made this year’s DEEP Service commitment come true. The event was hosted in the West Room on the Siena campus, where over 75 participants came together to eat, honor great accomplishments, and reflect on the year’s work.

The evening’s festivities were joined by 40 Bonner Service Leaders, 22 VISTA Fellows, and a number of community partners, Siena College faculty and administrators along with Albany public officials. The event started off with a nice prayer led by Fr. Mathias which was quickly followed by an opening speech from Fr. Ken about the value of service. Guests were then transitioned to a lovely buffet spread organized by both the ACE Banquet Committee and Norm Kvam, Director of Dining Services on campus.

As guests continued to enjoy their dinners, the evening’s agenda resumed with an insightful speech from Albany County Executive Michael G. Breslin. Mr. Breslin took this opportunity to recognize the unselfish commitments that everyone in the room has made to give back to their larger community. He gave thank you’s and highlighted the importance of change and the impact that has been made.

As the evening continued no event would be complete without an awards segment. This year three faculty members were honored for their outstanding commitment to the DEEP Model. Dr. Paul Thurston, Dr. Johanna Horowitz, and Dr. Mary Anne Egan worked diligently with VISTA Fellows this year to facilitate Academic Service Learning connections with their classes. Students embarked on unforgettable opportunities to take applications learned in the classroom and gain practical experience by working with local community partners.

Quickly following those awards was the community partner recognition, which went to Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless. Interfaith this year was one of the partnering organizations amongst many which helped establish a deeply rooted relationship. With the support of a VISTA placement, to tech support and Interfaith serving as a recipient of the Halloween Extravaganza fundraiser for 2010, it is evident that the partnership is not only sustained but will continue to grow.

The last segment of the evening’s agenda prior to the closing remarks were dedicated to specialized awards devoted to members of the Bonner Service Leaders and VISTA Fellows. Bonner individuals received awards for Team Player, Rookie of the Year, Unsung Hero, Ms. Congeniality and Embodies Bonner the Most. VISTA Fellow individuals received awards for Emblematic of VISTA, Team Player, Community Partner Builder, and Best VISTA Video.

As a phenomenal evening began to come to a close, it was true that the accomplishments of every player and stakeholder in that room were recognized and appreciated.

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VISTA Leader Nefisah Sallim and

VISTA Fellow Victoria Malaney

during a VISTA recruitment tabling event at Skidmore

College.

Siena College Bonner Service

Leaders celebrate$1 million

endowment from the Bonner

Foundation and Siena Trustee John

Dawson ’68.

On May 2, the Siena Bonner Service Leaders Program celebrated a $1 million dollar endowment from the Bonner Foundation and Siena Trustee Jim Dawson ’68 which will provide annual financial support for 60 Bonner Service Leaders.

The endowment funds will support future students financially by helping them attend Siena College and participate in the Bonner Service Leaders Program. As a part of the Bonner Program, students will have the opportunity to participate in weekly leadership and professional development opportunities, academic cornerstone activities such as service trips, national conferences, internships, and research projects. At the end of their four year college career, Bonner Service Leaders will have a solid four-year record of real-world, non-profit work experience.

The event was celebrated in the Sarazen Student Union Maloney Great Room and was attended by Siena faculty, staff and administrators, Siena AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows, and Office of Academic Community Engagement community partners.

A portion of the event included key remarks from Ariane Hoy, Senior Program Officer from the Bonner Foundation,

Dr. Mathew Johnson, Director of Academic Community Engagement, and from Siena Bonner Service Leader, Amanda Simone.

Amanda Simone gave a personal account of the impact that the Siena Bonner Service Leaders Program has had on her experience at Siena College. She related to the audience that without the Bonner Service Leaders Program and its financial help, she may not have been able to continue to attend Siena after her father’s business was required to close. Now Amanda is graduating at the top of her class and will move on to one of the top medical schools in the country in Buffalo, NY.

The Office of Academic Community Engagement is excited to see the Bonner Service Leaders Program continue for years to come at Siena College.

SIENABONNERLeaders Spotlight

$1 Million Dollar Endowment for Siena Bonner Leaders ProgramBy Jennifer Simek, AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader

“Building a world that is more justice, peaceable, and humane.”

Page 5: Siena College Academic Community Engagement Newsletter

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VISTA Leader Nefisah Sallim and

VISTA Fellow Victoria Malaney

during a VISTA recruitment tabling event at Skidmore

College.

Celebration of Academic Excellence

Siena Bonner Service Leaders present their research at this year’s Celebration of Academic Excellence.

Top Left to Bottom Right: Abigael Rourke, Amanda Simone, John DeCirce, Kendra

Four Siena Bonner Service Leaders Present Their Research at the Celebration of Academic ExcellenceBy Jennifer Simek, VISTA Leader

The Academic Celebration is Siena’s yearly Harvest Fair that showcases a variety of engaging research projects of Siena’s students from many different departments and majors. This year the Office of Academic Community Engagement was proud to have the representation of four Bonner Service Leaders: Abigael Rourke, Amanda Simone, John DeCirce, and Kendra Perro. They presented their research during a one-hour poster session in the Sarazen Student Union Maloney Great Room.

John DeCirce created two posters that connected his two most memorable service opportunities to his Economics degree coursework. One poster featured his work in a summer garden project in which he taught children from the City of Albany about nutrition and healthy living. His other poster featured the club he created on campus that focused on making meals for a local soup kitchen.

Kendra Perro’s poster featured her involvement in the design, development, and sustainability of the Trailblazers Program, a leadership program for at-risk youth in North

Albany Academy. She played a significant role in organizing and evaluating the program and creating lessons.

Abigael Rourke’s poster featured her research on the history and values of Girls Scouts of America and how those values have impacted both Siena students as well as the Girls Scouts of Northeastern New York Girl Scouts Troop 1430. Siena College students act as troop leaders to girls in Albany and provides girls from kindergarten to 8th grade with opportunities to better themselves and their communities.

Amanda Simone’s poster captured the professional and personal developmental experiences she had as a Siena Bonner Service Leader throughout the course of her college career. She included information about her service experience, national service trips, and personal challenges. Additionally, the poster examined the ways in which her service experiences have helped her prepare for a career in medicine.

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1SIENAVISTAFellows Spotlight

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

Saturday, April 9th, 2011, over 25 volunteers, including students, faculty, and staff from offices all over campus, came together to provide middle school girls an opportunity to develop their leadership skills, focus on self-empowerment, provide them with exposure to a college campus, and overall inspire them to achieve their dreams.

The way the campus came together to support this event was tremendous. The Bowman Women’s Center sponsored the whole day and provided help with organization of the event. Students volunteered as student leaders to help oversee smaller groups of girls (Girl Packs) for the whole day. Dr. Rachel Stein’s Body Politics class organized and facilitated a workshop on body image. Kathryn Ramsey, Siena VISTA Fellow, and her Trailblazers Program organized and facilitated a workshop on self defense. Jolene Johnson, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, spoke to the participants about self empowerment through sports. Norm Kvam from Sodexo Dining Service donated lunch and dinner for all the volunteers and girls. Yalitza Negron and Gretchen Mielke from the Office of Academic Community Engagement provided help with training students and doing team building activities. Other activities included a campus scavenger hunt created by Jess Farnan ’12, team cheers for the Girl Packs, and ice-breakers to help the girls and students get to know each other.

But why Girl’s Day? What is so important about bringing the middle school girls to Siena’s campus? Girl’s Day was inspired by the students and girls who participated in the Women of Wisdom Mentoring Program (WOW) organized by the Bowman Women’s Center. Through WOW, Siena students volunteer at least two hours per week working with young girls at Girl’s Inc. of the Capital Region and Grow Girls at the Addictions Care Center of Albany. Since the students were going into Albany to provide mentoring to these young girls, they wanted to find a way to bring the Albany youth they were working with to Siena’s campus for a day. There was already an amazing event held on campus for high school girls (Girls Take Charge) but not much in the community for middle school girls. There was a need for an event like Girl’s Day and Siena students wanted to provide!

Girls came from schools and organizations all over the Capital Region to attend this event. Schools included North Albany Academy, Albany Prep, Kipp, Albany Free School, Myers, and Guilderland, just to name a few. Organizations included Girls Inc., Grow Girls, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capitol Region, and more!

Overall, Girl’s Day achieved its goal of uniting Siena students, faculty, and staff from across campus together to empower low income, at risk girls from the local community. New friends were formed and community relationships fostered and strengthened. Girl’s Day... Because Every Girl Should Have Her Day. And every girl did.

What Happens When a Girl Has Her DayBy Ariel Palter, VISTA Fellow

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1Reflections on My Service Year at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of AlbanyBy Victoria Malaney, VISTA Fellow

As I sat down to reflect upon the past nine months as a AmeriCorps*VISTA, much has occurred at my two service sites: Central Office of Catholic

Charities and their program site the Roarke Center. Since January 2011, the Roarke Connection Life Coach Program has been in full swing. We have welcomed 11 trained Life Coaches to the Roarke Connections (RC) team and matched 8 of them with participants.

Although our participants and Life Coaches realize that their relationships can be challenging we have already seen successes occur within our Life Coaching teams. One of our participants has made the Deanʼs List as Bryant and Stratton College. Another participant has secured new housing and is looking for employment. With the support of their Case Managers and nonjudgemental Life Coaches, our participants in the Life Coach Program are gaining new perspectives on life.

As a VISTA and Life Coach Coordinator, my work this year has been especially meaningful because I have seen the tangible impact of the Life Coach Program on participants. Just recently, we held a Finance 101 class for the RC Program and Steven Bouchey of Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. taught our participants the fundamentals of finance. Participants were inspired to look into their credit score reports and save money. The Roarke Center also held our annual Roarke Connections Graduation Ceremony on May 18th. Program participants received a Certificate of Completion from the Roarke Connections that acknowledged their achievements of completing drug and alcohol or mental health treatments while also abstaining from new criminal convictions during their time in the RC program.

For more information about the Roarke Connection Life Coach Program please contact Victoria Malaney.

E: [email protected]: www.roarkeconnectionlifecoachprogram.pbworks.com

"e Ame#Corps Pled$

I will get things done for America -to make our people safe,

smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy,I will take action.

Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity, I will persevere.

I will carry this commitmentwith me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member,and I will get things done.

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Assessment of Service and Civic Engagement: Student Volunteering ResultsBy Christy Allen, VISTA Fellow

One of my main projects this year at the Siena Research Institute is the Assessment of Service and Civic Engagement study. This web-based survey primarily investigates undergraduate

experiences with community service. The survey has been administered at twenty-five colleges and universities in eight states, with a total of over 11,000 responses. Out of a dataset of approximately 8,000 only 49% of students report volunteering one or more times. Additionally, 87% had reported volunteering in high school, a drop of 38% in the transition to college.

These results made me curious. Why are over half of students not volunteering? Are they just too busy, as they report? What do students who do volunteer get out of the experience? I turned to a few helpful college students who answered my questions during filmed interviews.

One common theme among the students I interviewed was the idea that college can create a “bubble” culture. One student believes that often, “College campuses can be these closed communities where you have everything there, and you start to forget the needs outside of that community.” Additionally, a lack of structure for opportunities and poor time management on the part of students can impact the decision to volunteer. Clubs and academic service learning are great vehicles to volunteer while in college and still maintain a balance between coursework, extracurriculars, and fun.

So what are some good things that came come of volunteering? One students said, “it helps me generally with my life and my personal goals.” Some students may even find a calling. One senior remarked, “It was through volunteering that I found what I wanted to do with my life.”

National and Global Youth Service Day 2011By Carly Smith ’09, VISTA Fellow

On April 16th, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany participated in National and Global Youth Service Day 2011 by planning a trip to Victory Church’s Feeding Center downtown with Paster Charlie Muller. In order to

help his organization prepare for a 25,000-egg Easter Egg Hunt, we set out to stuff the thousands of plastic eggs with candy. The kids, although naturally distracted by the buckets of gum and massive bags of nerds and chocolate, created an assembly line of candy sorters, egg stuffers, egg snappers and egg collectors. In all, we managed to finish about three thousand eggs!

The members of the Boys & Girls Clubs are generally “the served” population. Most come from underprivileged circumstances and are all too familiar with hand-outs and government aid. This Service Day we hoped to instill in

our members a sense of pride and usefulness and to encourage our youth to be positive influence in their community.

To reward all of the youth that served that day, Albany County Youth Bureau hosted a BBQ and celebration at Lincoln Park. There was a lot of food, activities, presentations and best of all, karaoke! We were happy to reward our young volunteers after a day of hard work.Because the day was a big success we are making efforts to provide more service opportunities to our members and their families. Already, the members that attended GYSD made plans to send cookies to the Feeding Center’s Lunch Program of Victory Church that gives food to families in need.

Service is contagious. Pass it on.

Participants filling eggs for the 25,000-egg

Easter Egg Hunt.

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The start of May finds all of us at the Albany YMCA hard at work on many new projects and programs for our members and local community. As we look forward to the many new opportunities that spring

provides, we cannot help but be grateful for one of our largest accomplishments in the last couple of months - the 2011 Reach Out For Youth Campaign. The Campaign provides financial assistance to those who would otherwise not be able to benefit from the programs and services the YMCA provides. During this year’s 2010-2011 Reach Out For Youth Campaign, numerous staff, volunteers and members at the Albany Y came together to create unique ways to help us reach out goal.

This year, we had an intimidating goal of $295.000, which we knew would not be easy by any means. However, everyone who worked on the Campaign was determined to succeed. After all, we all knew that Reach Out For Youth is one of the most important aspects of the YMCA since it directly impacts many of the people we serve. We had some very exciting events taking place inside our

building and at our school site in order to help us raise as many dollars as possible. In total, we were able to raise $296,852.00, which will remain within the City of Albany.

The Y does not believe that anyone should be turned away due to their inability to pay. The programs and services that we offer are necessary and everyone can benefit from them, regardless of whether you are 1 year old or 100. The fact that we were able to not just make our goal, but to actually surpass it, means that we were able to continue to provide programs and services at a discounted rate to those who qualify.

Every dollar of this campaign goes directly to our families in need and more than 50% of all of our students that attend After School and Early Learning Center depend on this scholarship funding that Reach Out For Youth provides. The need for our scholarships is higher than ever before, especially when funding is being cut for other important local programs and services. We are so proud of everyone who dedicated the last few months to this campaign and it will make a huge difference in the lives of the people we serve.

For more information about Albany YMCA, visit their website at www.capitaldistrictymca.org.

Children at the Capital District Y in

North Albany posing for a picture in the shape of the

Y’s logo.

Reach Out For Youth: Make a Difference in Your CommunityBy Meghan Dunn, VISTA Fellow

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SIENAASL SpotlightFrom the Assistant DirectorBy Ruth Scipione

Graduation is done, the semester is over, and summer is finally on its way! Academic Service Learning activities here at ACE, however, are far from being over. We have a new cohort of faculty designing ASL courses for the Fall and Spring semesters and this year’s cohort is quite an impressive group of faculty ranging from Creative Arts and Languages to Sociology and Women’s Studies. The faculty connection to service is a crucial part of ACE’s mission to creating DEEP partnerships. It connects hands-on student experiences to disciplinary-based learning in a way that not only builds the skills that students need to thrive in their field of study but also makes a real difference in the community.

Also happening this summer:

Engaged Scholarship and Teaching Symposium: May 31-June 3 (Siena College)A national conference featuring workshops, roundtable sessions and networking opportunities for faculty, community partners and students. The conference is open to faculty and community-based organizations.

Problem-Based Service Learning Workshop: Two days in August (TBA)A two-day workshop for faculty who are creating ASL courses.

If you are interested in learning more about some of the existing and developing ASL projects please contact me or check out the new “Academic Service Learning Resource Guide” found on our webpage.

E: [email protected]: www.siena.edu/ace

Siena College Civic Engagement Camp Starts This SummerBy Patrick Gruber, VISTA Leader

The Siena College Office of Academic Community Engagement will play host to a summit of local high school leaders this summer. For three weeks from July 11-July 29, students from throughout the Capital Region will meet on the Siena College campus for one-week sessions of leadership development and civic activism. Students across the Capital District are welcome at this commuter camp to learn more about themselves, their community, and their world; while working with local leaders and non-profit organizations to imagine the possibilities of change.

In cooperation with our undergraduate leaders and post-graduate fellows, students will spend each morning in a variety of leadership development opportunities including the Siena Project Adventure Ropes Course. Afternoons will be spent on site at local non-profits and educational organizations working with community specialist to bring measurable and sustainable change to the Capital Region. Additionally, students will receive a certificate of completion of service to fulfill graduation, club, and other scholarship opportunities.

“We are excited to extend our academic and community based programs. Bringing the energy and experience of local students together to tackle the challenges in our community was an easy decision,” stated Dr. Mathew Johnson, a ’93 Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies and Director of Academic Community Engagement with the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy.

Students, family, and friends are invited to learn more about the 2011 Civic Engagement Camp and how to get involved at www.siena.edu/ace or contact Ruth Scipione at [email protected]. Visit our website and click on “Civic Engagement Camp” to register your child online!

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UPCOMINGPARTNER Events“Homeless: Motel Kids of Orange County” & “Motel Kids of Albany County”Homeless and Travelers Aid SocietyJune 2, 2011, 7:30 PM

HATAS is showing “Motel Kids of Orange County” followed by a short film on Albany County at WAMC’s The Linda (339 Central Ave, Albany, NY). Free with reservation. Call (518) 463-2124 ext. 203 or email [email protected].

23rd Annual Freihofer’s Community Walk Music Mobile, Homeless and Travelers Aid Society, Grand Street Community ArtsJune 4, 2011 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM.

The 23rd Annual Freihofer’s enables hundreds of not-for-profit organizations to raise money and awareness. Three of ACE’s partner organizations, Music Mobile, Homeless and Travelers, and Grand Street Community Arts will be participating in the community walk. Register to walk at www.freihofersrun.com and click on “Community Walk.”

Art on LarkGrand Street Community ArtsJune 11, 2011

Visit the Grand Street Community Arts booth! GSCA will be selling some of the past years BoardedUP boards, along with

work from local artists. They’ll also have homemade treats from the Youth Organics garden. All proceeds will benefit the GSCA summer youth programs. Don’t forget to check out the other terrific vendors too. Visit www.larkstreet.org for more info!

HATAS Annual Golf OutingHomeless and Travelers Aid SocietyJuly 11, 2011

Save the date for the Homeless and Travelers Aid Society Annual Golf Outing at Van Pattern Golf Club. Contact Liz Hitt, (518) 463-2124 or [email protected] for more information. All the proceeds from the Golf Outing go to support Homeless and Traveler’s Aid Society’s programs and services.

Father Peter G. Young Saratoga GalaFr. Peter Young Housing, Industries, and TreatmentJuly 18, 2011

Join Fr. Peter Young Housing, Industries, and Treatment for an evening filled with fellowship and food. Silent auction items and raffle tickets will be sold and all proceeds will support Fr. Peter Young Housing, Industries, and Treatment’s programs and services. The cost is $75/person, $150/couple, and $50 for 35 and younger. For more information, contact Margie Reilly at (518) 463-8109 or [email protected].

Running On Your Empties“Running On Your Empties” is a fundraising initiative of Music Mobile to turn your donated bottles & cans into environmental programs for children. Check out http://runningonyourempties.org for information on collection locations.

Partner Event RecapsBy Jennifer Simek

Music Mobile Anniversary Celebration

On March 24th, the Music Mobile celebrated its 33rd Anniversary at WAMC’s The Linda on 339 Central Avenue in Albany, NY. Siena VISTA Fellows were on hand to help out with the evening’s festivities, working behind the scenes to help sell raffle tickets, serve drinks and food, and take video and photographs.

The event featured an amazing array of talented singers who entertained the guests throughout the night. It was truly inspirational to see all the supporters of Music Mobile come out and celebrate the 33rd Anniversary of Music Mobile.

Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless Annual Fundraiser

On May 12th, Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless held their annual A Taste of Albany. Local restaurants from around the region came and shared their signature dishes with event goers and raffle and auction prizes were up for bid. VISTA Fellow Samantha Tymchyn played a key role in helping plan and facilitate the event. She recruited other Siena VISTA Fellows on staff to help make sure all the restaurants had their needs taken care of during the event. A Taste of Albany was a great success and all proceeds will benefit the homeless.

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Our Mission

The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy AmeriCorps*VISTA Fellows

Program provides help to build, sustain, and promote civic engagement by

fostering reciprocal DEEP relationships between students, faculty, administration

and our local community in need.

Our program focuses on assisting faculty, students, and community

partners to work with all walks of life. Our actions commit to our core values of

St. Francis and allow our students, faculty and administration to seek direct

actions towards academic excellence through their civic engagement and

participation in programs that help to increase capacity in areas of our

community that need it most through DEEP Partnerships.

Our PartnersPeter Young Housing, Industries and

Treatment/Schuyler Inn

Homeless and Travelers Aid Society

FOCUS Churches

Boys and Girls Club of Albany

Unity House of Troy

Catholic Charities/Roarke Center

Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

North Albany Academy/SNAP

Grand Street Community Arts

Trinity Alliance

Music Mobile

Capital District YMCA

Green Tech Charter High School

Siena Office of Enrollment Management

Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women

Siena Research Institute

Compassion in Action/Koinonia

Capital District Habitat for Humanity

Albany Housing Authority

Siena College Franciscan Center for Service and AdvocacyOffice of Academic Community Engagement515 Loudon Road | Loudonville, NY 12211P: (518) 783-6886 | F: (518) 786-5080E: [email protected] | W: www.siena.edu/ace