SJC Long Island Students to Aid in Relief Efforts in Oklahoma

January 07, 2016

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – JANUARY 7, 2016 – A dedicated group of 20 students and staff members from St. Joseph’s College (SJC) opted for an alternative winter break trip this year, traveling to Moore, Oklahoma, a city that is reeling from the effects of recent flooding, winter storms and a 2013 tornado. For this trip, SJC partnered with Serve Moore, an organization that has brought more than 50,000 volunteers to the Moore community since 2013. 

“This annual trip is an opportunity for our students to live out the College’s motto and mission to serve others,” said Patrick Tracy, director of campus ministry for SJC Long Island. “Each year, we focus on a location that is in need of help so that our students see how they can make a difference in the world and bring relief to others. In addition to practical applications of their talents, this is an experience in project management, both individually and as a team where students share the leadership.”

The alternative winter break trip is one of the largest community service projects that SJC Long Island students participate in. Volunteers come together with SJC students and staff members to spend one week helping people in areas of need. In 2013, Moore, Oklahoma, was hit by a tornado that blasted the community with 210 mph winds, leaving 24 people dead and 377 injured. From January 12 to 18, SJC students and staff, and Serve Moore volunteers will help repair homes and assist with their efforts throughout the community.

In recent years, SJC students who participated in the alternative winter and spring break programs traveled to Colorado, South Carolina, Missouri, New Jersey and Nicaragua. In addition to SJC’s alternative winter and spring break programs, students are encouraged to donate their time and effort to make a difference in their own communities throughout the semester. 

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE
St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through SJC Brooklyn, SJC Long Island and SJC Online, the College offers degrees in more than 45 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.