UPDATE, AUG. 31 • SJC Brooklyn’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Drive
SJC Brooklyn club STRIPES and the offices of Campus Ministry and Student Involvement and Leadership are coordinating efforts to aid in the Texas Hurricane Relief. Monetary donations are being collected in jugs at the security desks around campus. All proceeds will go directly to Catholic Charities of Galveston/Houston as they provide food, clothing, shelter and a network of support services to anyone affected by the storm.
There will be plastic bins in each building on the SJC Brooklyn campus collecting the following items:
- New Socks
- Diapers (for adults and children)
- Toiletries (tooth paste, tooth brushes, soap, contact solution, etc.)
Items will be collected until Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 4 p.m. They will then be transported to Senator Marty Golden’s Office in Bay Ridge to be shipped to Texas.
Donations can also be brought to the Student Life Suite in Tuohy Hall. Thank you for your generosity as we do our small part to help those in need.
The St. Joseph’s College community is encouraged to assist those affected by Hurricane Harvey and the catastrophic conditions that have come in the aftermath of the storm, said SJC Long Island Director of Campus Ministry Cristian Murphy.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Texas during this incredibly difficult time,” Murphy said. “Our office is working diligently to bring help and care to Houston and other affected areas through acts of service. We as a college have a great history of reaching out to others during times of need. This time will be no different.”
Hurricane Harvey is the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. It has devastated Houston and most of Texas’ coastline communities, bringing destruction and mass-flooding, killing eight Texas residents and displacing 30,000 others.
Though the storm’s trajectory falls well outside the New York region, many faculty and staff at St. Joseph’s are closely linked to the Texas area. SJC President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., attended high school in Corpus Christi and studied piano at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. Dr. Boomgaarden, who still has strong ties in the region, urges those looking to assist the Gulf Coast to consider making donations to Catholic Charities USA.
“I have many, many relatives who are struggling right now with the aftermath of the hurricane, and the continuing threat of the storm through rain and water damage,” Dr. Boomgaarden said. “Please keep my family and friends, and all the good people of Texas, in your prayers.”
In addition to Catholic Charities USA, SJC encourages campus community members to look for local reputable organizations to support in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Charity evaluator website Charity Navigator suggests the following four relief groups:
Houston Food Bank • Food Bank of Corpus Christi • Houston Humane Society • San Antonio Humane Society
These highly-rated organizations are located in the most-affected areas and are providing support to individuals and animals.
Our office is working diligently to bring help and care to Houston and other affected areas through acts of service. We as a college have a great history of reaching out to others during times of need. This time will be no different.”
In 2012, New Yorkers experienced the catastrophic Superstorm Sandy. Neighborhoods flooded. Thousands were left homeless. And the subsequent recovery took months.
To assist those students most affected by the storm, SJC created the Superstorm Sandy Emergency Fund. That school year, the College raised enough money to offset tuition for students whose homes were destroyed by the historic storm.
Whether via catastrophe, community outreach or otherwise, SJC is no stranger to service work and volunteerism. Each year the school’s annual alternative winter and spring break programs take student volunteers across the country to assist in rebuilding and recovery work. This is in addition to the countless hours students spend helping out at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and with such service clubs as Habitat for Humanity and STARS (Students Taking an Active Role in Society).
“It’s during times like these that make me remember why it’s important to give back,” said SJC Long Island senior and biology major Keyla Ordonez, a participant in four of the school’s recent alternative breaks. “Service work is such an essential part of the relief effort. Without it so many people would be left in need. Following a natural disaster it is crucial that we come together to help out.”
