HACC Community Gives Back with Service Projects, Hosts Engineering Career Day

Current news from HACC, Jan. 11, 2018 HARRISBURG, Pa.  – HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, shares recent news, including:

• HACC Community Gives Back with Service Projects
• HACC Hosts Engineering Career Day

 
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Students and employees at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, are serious about giving back to others.

Care Kits to be Assembled for Ronald McDonald House

On Jan. 18, 2018, they will gather at 10 a.m. in the Bruce E. Cooper Student Center on HACC’s Harrisburg Campus to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by assembling over 500 care kits for the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey. The care kits will include coloring books, crayons, tissues, lip balm, hand sanitizers and card games.

Snack Packs Sent to Students at Houston Community College

On Oct. 25, 2017, more than 60 HACC students and employees and PSECU staff pitched in to make 700 snack packs for Houston Community College students affected by Hurricane Harvey. On behalf of the Student Government Association (SGA) at the Harrisburg Campus, Jeff Gerstein, campus director of Student Development and Multicultural Programs, reached out to Houston Community College in Texas in fall 2017 to offer help in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

“Every semester, the SGA hosts a community service project/day to benefit a local organization in our community. However, with the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey, we decided to reach out from one community college to another to show our support,” said Gerstein.

From One Community College to Another

 “Although Hurricane Harvey did not affect us directly, we decided to take action and support a fellow community college to let them know we were thinking of them,” said HACC student Holly Bickle.

The volunteers worked together to fill bags with various snacks that included fruit drinks, chips, fruit snacks, crackers and mini candy bars.

The next day, HACC shipped 32 boxes to Houston, and the snacks were distributed in a series of food fairs for students during the month. HACC volunteers were recognized in a video about the food fairs.

Teona Hughes, student life assistant at Houston Community College – Northwest, wrote, “Our Student Government Association partners with (the financial aid) department to host food fairs on our campuses. We gave them the snack packs that were provided to us through your service project. We are so grateful! Thank you all so very much for thinking about us.”

Helping Others is Special, Heart-Warming

“It was a fulfilling experience and I was proud to be a part of something so special,” said Megan Kopitsky, SGA secretary.

Andre Weston, SGA treasurer, who initiated the idea, said, “I must say, it did my heart good to see one community mobilize its people and gather its resources, putting both to work in support of a community thousands of miles away. Compassion is STILL part of America’s woven fabric.” 

Gerstein added, “This was a great opportunity for the HACC community to come together and let them know we were still thinking of them. Organizing campus community service projects is one of my favorite parts of my job because it allows all of us to come together to help others.”

Participating in community service projects is an important element of student life for Ben Byler, SGA president. “I believe students succeed in life by serving their communities and thinking about the needs of others,” he said.

For photos from the event, please go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/hacc/albums/72157690418019391