News
The Gift of Giving
Manhattanville is the first college to send volunteers to the Woodycrest House
10.09.07
This semester the Duchesne Center started a new community service program called Children’s Hope. It is in conjunction with the national Children's Hope Foundation, an organization whose mission is to…”improve the quality of life for children, young adults, and their families affected by HIV and AIDS by meeting their educational and social needs."*
Craig Donnelly, Community Service Coordinator for the Duchesne Center, departs from Spellman Hall every Monday at 5:00 p.m. with a group of about 15 student volunteers to work with children and teenagers at the Woodycrest House in the Bronx. The Woodycrest House is a group home for families in which one or more members are living with HIV. The Duchesne Center's participation with the Children's Hope Foundation is especially notable because Manhattanville is the first college to send volunteers to Woodycrest. For two to three hours Manhattanville students socialize with the kids, playing games and working on different projects such as creative writing and art. "I think it is very important for our students to take part in this prorgram because it shows them that kids who are sick can still be full of life, and also gives them the opportunity to act as role models," said Craig. "Students that are interested in this program can sign up anytime in the Duchesne Center."
Janelle Little is one of the student coordinators for Children's Hope. "I think it is great that the Duchesne Center started this new program because it helps to remove the social stigma of AIDS that stems from ignorance," she said. "Children's Hope gives this disease a human face." Of course the children also enjoy the time spent with Manhattanville's volunteers. Calena, one of the children, summed it up when she said, “I love everything about the program. All of you (the students), the games, and the snacks!”
On November 19th Craig Donnelly will bring the kids from the Woodycrest House to Manhattanville where they will present a video documentary that they created called "Our Life."
*Excerpt from Children's Hope Foundation mission statement.