Definitely engaged! Representatives from Penn College's Office of Student Engagement pose with donations from the Spring Break Donation Initiative, which delivered gifts to four local nonprofit organizations last week. From left: Bradley M. Walter, manager of campus recreation and wellness; Gayle M. Kielwein, coordinator of student engagement operations; Nat G. Santaella, coordinator of student engagement; Ashlee C. Felix-Taveras, assistant director of student engagement; and Meghan R. Delsite Coleman, assistant director of student engagement.
Although Penn College students were on Spring Break last week, their caring efforts still made an impact in the local community, as the Office of Student Engagement’s Spring Break Donation Initiative delivered gifts to four local nonprofit organizations. The items were made possible by Penn College students who have worked on various service projects throughout the Spring Semester, including creating care kits and homemade dog toys.
The donation initiative delivered items to:
- Lycoming County SPCA, a shelter ensuring the welfare and protection of animals through rescue and care initiatives
- Transitional Living Centers, Inc., a residential program providing services to women and men who have been convicted of a crime and are about to re-enter society
- West Branch Pride, a network advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion, equity and community engagement
- YWCA Northcentral PA, an organization providing support and resources to survivors of domestic violence and individuals in need
"Having worked with these agencies throughout my undergraduate and professional career at Penn College, seeing students engage in meaningful service projects is always amazing,” said Ashlee C. Felix-Taveras, assistant director of student engagement. “Watching them create these donations and having the opportunity to drop them off on their behalf truly showcases their dedication to giving back to the community."
At YWCA Northcentral PA, two of the Penn College representatives deliver the YWCA and West Branch Pride donations. From left: Shantay Hall, Sayyidah Ali, Felix-Taveras, Victoria Kleese, Delsite Coleman and Erin Timmins.