Hobart and William Smith alumni spent part of the spring volunteering in communities from New York to California through the colleges’ Alumni Days of Service.
The service events connected graduates with local organizations working on community outreach, food access, arts programming and environmental stewardship.
In Westchester County, alumni volunteered with Bethany Arts Community, a nonprofit cultural center that supports artists and community programs. Volunteers helped prepare and maintain the organization’s grounds and facilities.
Mark Heyert, a 1987 graduate, said the Westchester event gave alumni a chance to reconnect while supporting an organization with a local community mission.
In the Bronx, alumni joined New Tabernacle Baptist Church for a community outreach event that provided food, clothing and other resources to residents. Seven alumni volunteers helped distribute supplies and shared information about Hobart and William Smith with community members.
The Rev. Dr. Hiram Ratliff, a 1988 graduate and pastor of New Tabernacle Baptist Church, said the effort strengthened an existing commitment to community relationships.
Additional service events were held in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where alumni volunteered at the Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, where participants supported the Marin Food Bank’s work to address food insecurity.
The colleges said the spring events are part of a broader tradition of civic engagement among HWS alumni. Projects ranged from restoring community spaces to supporting outreach efforts and helping organizations respond to local needs.
Alumni organizers said the events also gave graduates a way to maintain connections with one another while contributing to communities where they live and work.
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