Marist Cares!

2012-12-13T02:26:00.000-08:00

Marist College

3399 North Road

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Volunteers from all aspects of student life made their way to Breezy Point on Saturday in what is the first installment of a long-term project established by the Marist community.

On Saturday Dec. 1, Thirty-four Marist students took time out of studying for finals and dedicated the day to help families in Breezy Point who lost everything due to the storm. While the free trip was open up to all students, it was led by executive board members of Habitat for Humanity and Student Government , who have joined forces to establish a long- term Civility Campaign that aims to restore the damaged communities affected by Sandy.

Why Breezy Point? Breezy Point suffered the most damage from super-storm Sandy, causing a fire that burnt down 11 houses. A majority of Marist Students are from the Greater New York City Area and immediately formalized a plan to unite and lend a helping hand.

How was the success of the campaign measured? Throughout the day, the Marist volunteers used social media to raise awareness of the campaign. They tweeted pictures and provided testimonials about their experiences. While the social media tactics resulted in an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, the biggest award for the volunteers came from the Breezy Point civilians, who advocated their support.

Reaction From the Volunteers

“One of the most challenging parts of this service trip had to be seeing the houses that were burned down from the fire. We walked around that area, and I was caught off guard. I understood that houses had burned down, but to see it first-hand…was a very challenging aspect of the day.”- Ashley Vogel, Historian, Marist Habitat

“There were people coming out of their houses with trays of food. People were constantly thanking all of the volunteers, [and] cars would pass our group on the street and yell ‘Go Red Foxes’!”
-Michael Johnson, Civility Campaign Chair, Student Government.

What were the results of the campaign? Volunteers continue to use social media to share their experiences from Breezy Point and encourage more students to help out when relief projects resume in the spring. Formal dates haven’t officially been announced, but projects in Long Island, Staten Island, the Jersey Shore, and Breezy Point are at the top of the group’s agenda. The full story of this event can be found in this week’s issue of the Marist Circle .

Marist Habitat Launches Civility Campaign

Marist Cares!