An all-star team of Mount Saint Mary College scholars recently donated dozens of "blessing bags" to those in need, while student-athletes gave school supplies to families at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.
Blessing bags
In honor of the college's recent Founders Day celebrations, the Mount community worked together to collect personal care items such as masks, deodorant, hand sanitizer, mouthwash, shampoo, tissues, toothpaste, and more.
Afterward, student volunteers gathered to create dozens of blessing bags, which were donated to the Newburgh Ministry and Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties.
The Mount's Founders Day honors the legacy of St. Dominic de Guzman and the Dominican Sisters whose vision guided the creation of the college.
The donation drive was sponsored by the Mount's Campus Ministry, the Dominican Scholars of Hope, the college's Honors Program, and two honor societies on campus: Alpha Chi, the honor society for general scholarship, and Sigma Tau Chapter 451 of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), the international honor society in education.
Charles Zola, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, and associate professor of Philosophy, spearheaded the effort.
School supplies
Earlier this semester, Chris Lyn, Women's Soccer coach; assistant coach Liz Cusato; Fr. Greg Fluet, chaplain and director of Campus Ministry; and members of the Mount's Women's Soccer Team headed to the Newburgh Armory Unity Center to distribute school supplies to the children of Newburgh.
In the summer of 2021, through the "Staples Cares" program, the Mount Kisco Staples donated thousands of dollars in supplies, including crayons, pencils, markers, folders, and more. The recent donations to the Newburgh Armory were an extension of this program.