This year, over 100 Saints demonstrated their commitment to service, the local community, and Franciscan tradition during Siena’s Community Service Day. This annual day of service places students at sites that complement their interests and passions, and allows them to utilize their skills and talents to contribute to community change.
Siena volunteers were placed at over a dozen service sites such as the American Red Cross, St. Paul’s Center, Joseph’s House, the City of Cohoes, Daughters of Charity, and the Patroon Land Farm.
Depending on the particular site, volunteers were responsible for tasks that ranged from harvesting okra, organizing donations, painting, and installing smoke alarms, to helping with general outdoor fall cleanup.
Victoria Fioravanti ’19, one of the Program Coordinators at Siena’s Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy, got involved in organizing the event two years ago.
“We all put in so much work to make sure the day is enjoyable for our students. We care so much about service and giving back to the community, and Community Service Day helps us do just that,” she said.
Shayla Encarnacion ’19, has a passion for service that she carries with her in her daily life as a Siena Bonner Service Leader. The Bonner Service Leaders team is group of undergraduates that serve 8-10 hours per week at a nonprofit organization in the Capital Region.
Encarnacion has also volunteered for Community Service day since her freshman year.
“I think the most memorable experience was this [Community Service Day], just because I went with a bigger group so we were able to accomplish a variety of tasks. I felt so fulfilled and satisfied with what we accomplished. We finished over 10 items they had on their task list since January, but they hadn’t been able to complete because of time and limited staff. My service group had people I never met before and we all got along and we played music, sang together, and enjoyed bettering our community with our service.”
