DAY OF SERVICE

Holy Names volunteered at 18 different service organizations around the Capital District for annual event.

The Academy of Holy Names students, faculty and staff spent Oct. 3 volunteering at 18 different service organizations around the Capital District. (Photos provided)

The Academy of the Holy Names took a break from academics for a day, as students, faculty and staff spent Oct. 3 volunteering at 18 different service organizations around the Capital District. The Day of Service demonstrates the of the entire Holy Names community to serve the marginalized, poor and disadvantaged in the Capital District. The focus stems from the charism of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM).

The day consisted of various service projects, ranging from making lunch and serving sandwiches at the Capital City Rescue Mission to sorting and organizing book and clothing donations at Grassroot Givers and helping at A Child’s Place Preschool in Troy for their annual Harvest Day.

After returning to school, the groups talked about their volunteer experience and created presentations for the school community about the specific organization in which they volunteered. The day ended with a school-wide assembly showcasing student's presentations on the organizations. Christian Brothers Academy provided transportation.

The organizations AHN served that day included: Albany Therapeutic Riding Center (fall clean-up included cleaning the barn, weeding and painting); Blessed Sacrament School (created cards for the Sisters of Mercy House, the VA, and local hospitals); Capital City Rescue Mission (sandwich-making and serving lunch); Catholic Charities Tri-County Services (soup kitchen prep, serving and clean-up); Christ Child Society, St. Madeleine Sophie Church (made comfort bags filled with personal care items, coloring books, crayons, reading books and stuffed animals. They will be delivered to shelters, foster care programs and police departments); Connect Center for Youth (organized space in the Connect Center and helping with the ConnectPantry); Eden’s Rose (picked up and helped distribute free produce to community members; picked up trash and/or weeded the community garden); Grassroot Givers (sorted and organized clothing and book donations); Habitat for Humanity ReStore (worked at the ReStore; painted rocks; put together snack bags for volunteers with thank you notes); Hood’s House of Hoops (assisted with cleanup); Patroon Land Farm (farm cleanup); U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (organized donations and assisted with winter clothing drive); and the Daughters of Charity, St Louise House (participated in craft making).

At the school that day, AHN served the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless (made 100 bagged lunches for the guests of the shelter); Logan Strong Foundation (created “kits” for newly diagnosed families and helped create list of local businesses to contact to place bins for toy and/or change donations); and The MoonCatcher Project (MoonBee created/assembled reusable menstrual pads for poor, underprivileged girls).