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Upstate students participate in Day of Service Sept. 11

Upstate students participate in Day of Service Sept. 11

SYRACUSE, N.Y.-- Upstate Medical University students will join thousands of Americans across the country in community service as they mark the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by participating in the Sept. 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Event coordinator Simone Seward says that Upstate’s program will provide a valuable service to the community while instilling in the students a sense of community among their peers and with those who live and work in Upstate’s neighborhoods.

“This program brings together students from Upstate’s four colleges, in a setting where they can engage in interprofessional dialogue, all while offering service to their community,” said Seward, director of Upstate’s Center for Civic Engagement. “We invite all students to participate in this worthwhile event and also encourage members of the faculty and staff to volunteer to help facilitate discussions about how to work and serve together for a common goal.”

The day’s event begins with a welcome by Upstate President Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, FAAP, and a panel discussion by community members about challenges faced by those living in and around Syracuse. Panelists include: Mable Wilson, long-time resident of Pioneer Homes in Syracuse; Lisa Bigelow, Resident Health Advocate for the She Matters program of the Upstate Cancer Center; and Syeisha Byrd, director of Engagement Programs at Syracuse University.

Following the program, from noon to 4 p.m., the students will be assigned to one of six designated community locations where their service will range from environmental clean-up to sorting inventory.

The sites are: Matthew 25 Farms in Tully; Rescue Mission Warehouses in Liverpool and Cicero; Salvation Army’s Barnabas & Booth House; Schiller Park and Wilson Park in Syracuse.

Sept. 11 was designated a National Day of Service by the 2009 Kennedy Serve America Act. The Corporation for National and Community Service leads the annual event, working with 9/11 Day and hundreds of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, schools, and businesses nationwide.

Upstate’s event is hosted by its Center for Civic Engagement with support from The Upstate Foundation, The Consortium for Culture and Medicine, The Center for Global Health & Translational Science and the Office of Interprofessional Education.

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