Site Descriptions Fall 2006
Abraham House
Abraham House provides care and support for terminally ill patients. Hamilton students attend training sessions to prepare for the emotional and physical demands of the patients. Students then work in shifts to provide care to the patients.
Alternative Spring Break
(Danna Klein, dklein@hamilton.edu)
Each year, an executive board of volunteer trip leaders organizes 6 service trips to work with various agencies across the country. During Spring Break each March, over 60 students choose to volunteer during their vacations. In 2006, students traveled to the Gulf Coast to help in the cleanup efforts post- Hurricane Katrina.
Alterra/ Trio
Hamilton students, senior citizens, and high school students create a “trio” of friendships and connection in this project. Hamilton students and students from the ABC House visit residents at Alterra, an assisted living center for seniors. The ABC House is a program that brings at risk high school students to live at a house on the Hamilton campus to attend Clinton High School.
Arts Outreach Program
(Katie Berlent, kberlent@hamilton.edu)
The Arts Outreach program brings Hamilton performing groups into Utica to do volunteer performances.
Best Buddies
Hamilton volunteers pair with mentally challenged adults for monthly activities. These activities include: bowling, holiday parties, games, movies, and pizza. Students are encouraged to keep up letter correspondence with the adults and to visit whenever possible.
Big Brothers/ Big Sisters
Once a month, Hamilton students meet with younger students from Utica and Rome for one-on-one fun projects. These activities range from pumpkin decorating, trips to the Children’s Museum, and attending collegiate sporting events.
Drop Everything and Read
On Friday afternoons, a group of Hamilton students visit the Westmoreland Elementary School to volunteer in the classroom. Each student gets a buddy to read with for the afternoon.
ESOL
Hamilton participants in this program help to teach English as a second language.
Food Salvage
(Suzy Belmont, sabelmon@hamilton.edu)
Using leftover food from the dining halls, students on this program package over 300 meals each semester. They are distributed to families through the Your Neighbors Program in Utica.
Habitat for Humanity
(Katie Donahue, kdonahue@hamilton.edu)
Established in 1976, the Habitat for Humanity organization works to eliminate inadequate housing. Habitat focuses on creating relationships with families rather than simply building homes. The Hamilton group helps with building and repair efforts in Oneida County. The group also educates the campus about poverty housing and raises money through fundraising efforts.
Hope House
(Alana Pudalov, apudalov@hamilton.edu)
Hope House is a soup kitchen located on Eagle Street in Utica. Student volunteers prepare and serve meals and talk to visitors of the facility.
House of the Good Shepard
The House of Good Shepherd provides schooling and homecare for children whose families could not provide them with the support they need. It is a residential program that treats children from ages 6 to 16, with the aim of rehabilitating them so that they can eventually function within a normal situation. The Pen Pal program aims to send one letter every two weeks. Volunteers are paired with a child and exchange letters over the course of the semester. The program provides two opportunities each semester to meet pen pals through parties at Hamilton. Every year, students also volunteer at the Halloween Party playing games with the residents.
JCTOD Outreach
(Zeeshan Haider, mhaider@hamilton.edu)
JCTOD Outreach Center provides children in the Cornhill section of Utica with a safe place to go in the summer and after school. The program offers play, tutoring, snack, and dinner. Children spend the afternoon in a drug-free environment enjoying the facilities and caring for the community garden in warmer months. Hamilton volunteers interact with the students and help with JCTOD administrative work.
Lincoln Academy
Lincoln Academy is an alternative high school in Utica for teens from Oneida Country. Volunteers provide some much needed tutoring and interaction with these students.
Loretto Center
(Katie Berlent, kberlent@hamilton.edu, Becky Mackenzie, rmackenz@hamilton.edu)
The Loretto Center is a nursing home in Utica caring for patients with a range of needs. Students spend time with residents playing bingo, painting nails, and making meaningful connections.
On Campus Tutoring
(Jeff McArn, jmcarn@hamilton.edu)
Students from Jefferson Elementary School come to campus once a week to meet one-on-one with a Hamilton volunteer. The student and their buddy eat snack, do homework, and become friends.
Red Cross Campus Club
Partnering with the Utica Chapter of the Red Cross, this club varies each semester. In the past the group collected funds for the Measles Initiative, worked to raise awareness about disaster relief, and created care packages for hurricane victims or troops in Iraq.
Relay for Life
(Tierney Boisvert, tboisver@hamilton.edu, Caitlin Connelly, cconnell@hamilton.edu, Beth Starker, estarker@hamilton.edu)
Hamilton hosts an American Cancer Society Relay for Life each fall in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. Teams of students and staff take turns running/walking through the night (7 pm - 7 am). They enjoy music, snacks, and games while contributing to the fight against cancer.
Salvation Army Music Lessons
(Sarah Wissel, swissel@hamilton.edu)
Using donated instruments, Hamilton volunteers travel to the Salvation Army in Utica to provide lessons for students. Students learn to play various instruments and develop a love for music.
Study Buddies
(Sarah Wissel, swissel@hamilton.edu, Pat Hodgens, phodgens@hamilton.edu, Phill Hoying, phoying@hamilton.edu)
Every Saturday teens from Utica travel to Hamilton to spend the day with volunteers. The student and their buddy eat in Commons dining hall, work on homework, play games, and enjoy events on campus. Students develop important relationships with their mentors.
United Cerebral Palsy
(Katie Stones, kstones@hamilton.edu)
UCP is an organization “providing the services and opportunities for independent growth, self determination and community inclusion for persons with cerebral palsy.” Hamilton volunteers interact with residents and help with the maintenance of the facility.
Utica Tutorial
Volunteers travel to Martin Luther King Elementary School in Utica to tutor the students.
Young Scholars College Admissions Counseling
Students in the Young Scholars program at Utica High School work with Hamilton students on the college application process. Mentors help students select colleges and compose applications.
