Adelphi Students Take Part in Community Action Program

For the past six years a group of incoming freshmen at Adelphi University in Garden City have sacrificed part of their summer vacation to devote to community service, where they do everything from remove trash from beaches to play cards with seniors at nursing facilities.

On Thursday, about 45 incoming freshmen – and their team leaders – traveled to Hempstead to help beautify the Jackson Annex and Jackson Main Schools. The students painted fences, sanded railings and cleaned the premises just in time for the new school year.

"It's a wonderful opportunity for the students to get exposure to community service," said junior Will Neris, co-coordinator of the Freshman Community Action program, which allows students to work with a number of organizations in the immediate area.

Junior Stephanie Vafiadis, a team leader, is in her third year with the program. "When I was a freshman, I jumped at the opportunity. I love community service," she said. "I love to see the incoming freshmen get involved, work together, sweat together. I love working with the students and working in the community. It's a win-win."

Asim Naqvi, a junior, has been active in community service since high school. "You get a sense of accomplishment, and I get a chance to help freshmen transition into college," he said.

For incoming freshman Aleisha Darrell, the program has special meaning because she grew up in Hempstead, only a few blocks from the Jackson Annex School. "I know there are some areas here that are beautiful and other areas that are not. I know the changes that need to be made," she said. "I want to make the whole community beautiful. I want to see it sparkle. I want to help, one step at a time. If I do my part, someone will follow and soon we will have a whole train of people doing it."

According to university president Dr. Robert Scott, Adelphi students have been involved in community action activities since the earliest days in Brooklyn in the 19th century.

"FCAP is a wonderful initiative in this tradition, and I applaud our students for showing that college is about active citizenship as well as preparation for careers," he said.

Principal Dr. Rodney Gilmore of Jackson Main was appreciative of the efforts of the Adelphi students. "The Hempstead School District thanks Adelphi University and its students for helping to make two of our elementary schools more aesthetically beautiful, which will help our students have a bright new school year," he said. "We look forward to continuing our work with the university in future community endeavors."

The Freshman Community Action Program has been active in many community service projects over the years. They have cleaned beaches, visited the Garden City Bird Sanctuary to clear shrubs and do general upkeep, and spent quality time with seniors at the A. Holly Patterson home.

Monika Mohacsi of Garden City, who will major in physics at Adelphi, was involved in community service when she was a student at the high school. Last year, she participated in the "GC For A Cure" event that helped raise $20,000 for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

As the Adelphi students painted fences and sanded railings, they seemed to have a fun time working and chatting at the same time. "It's great," Neris said. "It helps the incoming students bond with each other, which is nice before school begins."