By Steve Seepersaud
May 10, 2018
From serving meals to the hungry, to cleaning animal shelters, to installing smoke detectors, to cleaning parks, Binghamton University alumni made their presence felt around the world during the fourth annual Alumni Global Day of Service April 27-29.
Bringing alumni together to serve their communities within a designated weekend clearly demonstrates what can be accomplished when alumni turn out in large numbers, making our alumni network more visible within a given region and reinforcing that there are Binghamton alumni all over the world.
Consider the impact of this year's event:
- More than 400 alumni and friends volunteered
- Nearly 1,800 total volunteer hours
- There were 41 alumni-led and independent projects
- Students led nine projects
- 259 students and 37 faculty and staff participated
- There were projects in 13 states and in two countries in addition to the U.S.
Some of our project site leaders shared what Alumni Global Day of Service means to them.
"Many people would like to volunteer their time, but they don't know how to get started. This was a perfect opportunity to bring people together for a good cause. I hope that each year, some of the volunteers will lead their own projects and our efforts will continue to multiply," said Barbara Edell Fisher '82, site leader of the Brunch for Families at the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
"Our group assembled 16 wig kits into princess wigs. This was the second year I led this project for Alumni Global Day of Service. Last year, they were given to children at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Chai Lifeline Mid-Atlantic, both of which have local pediatric cancer centers in Baltimore. Thinking of all the struggles, unknowns and challenges these kids face daily, we hope, through these wigs, they're able to momentarily escape that darkness," said Brittany Harrison '09, leader of the Alumni Association's Baltimore Chapter.
"I decided to lead a team in the Alumni Global Day of Service for homeless outreach kits when I discovered how much those kits were needed by a friend who was involved in homeless services. I didn't realize the need in my community and I wanted to help. We organized the donations and then filled 100 homeless outreach bags in record time! I feel good knowing that we can make a difference in the community and let the homeless know that we care," said Lynne Esquivel '93, MPA '96, who led the homeless outreach kit assembly project in Binghamton.
See photos from the weekend at the Alumni Association's Shutterfly site. Save the date for the next Alumni Global Day of Service, April 12-14, 2019.
