Livingston CARES’ mission is to help communities and individuals locally, regionally, statewide, nationwide, and globally in humanitarian projects including disaster relief and recovery efforts. CARES also provides a resource and information repository for individuals and organizations wishing to contribute to disaster recovery efforts. |
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Livingston CARES Newsletter Issue 8
September 2021
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Service Trip Registration
is Reopening for 2022
Livingston CARES is reopening annual service trips for SUNY Geneseo student volunteers to support communities that have been devastated by natural disasters, including regions in Puerto Rico and Louisiana.
There are a total of five service trips planned for the upcoming academic year in the spring of 2022. These dates for Puerto Rico include January 15-22, March 12-19, and May 21-28. The two trips to Sulphur, Louisiana are planned for January 15-22 and March 12-19.
Livingston CARES is looking for interested students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members that are willing to volunteer their time to aid in disaster relief and rebuilding communities. There are six volunteer spots for each trip, so registering early is encouraged. Registration for all service trips opens on October 4th with a nonrefundable deposit of $100, which will hold a space for you on the trip. Applications will be available on the Livingston CARES website. The rates for Puerto Rico are $975 per person and Louisiana is $675 per person. Registration for all service trips for 2022 open October 4, 2021. For information on how to register, please visit the Livingston CARES website.
In order to make these service trips more affordable and accessible to all students, there are scholarships that are available through Livingston CARES. For more information on these scholarships, please visit the Livingston CARES website.
The nonprofit organization ReHace will be leading volunteers on the Puerto Rico service trips. ReHace is an organization that supports social projects in search of aiding communities in disaster relief and education. The January trip will be led by Holly Harvey, the trip in March will be led by Betsy Colon and Bryan Rivera, and the May trip will be led by Dan Martin.
The Fuller Center is the organization that Livingston CARES will be working with in Sulphur, Louisiana to assist with rebuilding communities that have been severely affected by Hurricanes Laura & Delta. Nancy Lowmaster will be leading SUNY Geneseo students, faculty, and community members on the service trip in January while Nicholas Palumbo will be leading the trip in March.
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Program Highlight:
Home Away From Home Receives National
Award
Livingston CARES is proud to announce the amazing work and achievements of the Home Away from Home Respite program, one of our community based initiatives facilitated in partnership with SUNY Geneseo. The Home Away from Home Respite Program has been selected as Innovative and Exemplary for 2021 by the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center! They have shown great dedication and care for families and caregivers in the Geneseo area since 2016.
For the past five years, program coordinator Sharon Leary and student volunteers have demonstrated what the Geneseo community is really about. Service and aid to those in need is what the Home Away from Home Respite program strives to achieve while providing a safe space filled with engaging activities while student volunteers support their community members with memory-related illnesses. Some of these activities include chair yoga and aerobics, games and puzzles, cooking projects, and time with therapy dogs. The program meets twice a week to take stress off of caregivers giving them free time and a chance to regain some energy. The fifteen to twenty student volunteers involved in the Home Away from Home program engage in attentive trainings before assisting families and caregivers in any way. The Home Away From Home Respite program was also featured in Spectrum News earlier this year.
If you are interested in having a loved one join the program, the center is currently looking for new families and encourage you to reach out by emailing Coordinator Sharon Leary.
If you want to learn more about the Home Away from Home Respite Center and find out ways you can get involved, visit their website here or their YouTube page here!
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2021 Hurricane
Recovery Fund
Sixteen years ago, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and left millions devastated and displaced. In response to this natural disaster, SUNY Geneseo and Livingston County joined forces and created the Livingston CARES program in an effort to aid in disaster relief both nationally and internationally. Since the establishment of Livingston CARES, the program has sent over 1,200 students on 90 service trips across the nation as well as in Puerto Rico.
Recently we have all seen the devastation that Hurricane Ida has caused in Louisiana. In response to this natural disaster, Livingston CARES is collecting donations to contribute to the 2021 Hurricane Recovery Fund. Each donation will support communities that have been effected by Hurricane Ida or other storms that impact regions of the US. The funds that are raised by the Geneseo community will be directly used to support low-income families and the communities as a whole.
Donate here to make your contribution today.
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Did you want to catch up on Livingston CARES' history?
To see the impact Livingston CARES has had throughout the years, use this link to view 15 years of trips, programs, people, projects, and more:
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If you'd like to be added to our mailing list please send an email to cares@geneseo.edu with your contact info and we'll add you to our distribution list.
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