Outreach Adventure
Activities may include serving in a meal program for the homeless, working on a Habitat for Humanity construction project, helping with a summer program for local refugee children, or performing environmental service work. Most OA groups stay together in a community center or church “camping inside” in the area where they are volunteering.
Trips
Tradewinds at Upstate Cerebral Palsy is a residential community and education center in Rome, NY (20 minutes from Hamilton) that creates an enriching environment for individuals with behavioral or developmental disabilities. On the Best Buddies trip, we will have the opportunity to engage with Tradewinds residents, joining them in day-to-day activities and building relationships. UCP is a special place for our group and there are opportunities to return to visit and further build on the connections made during the trip. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore Rome and Utica, meet with other OA trips in the area, and sample a local Italian restaurant. Camping indoors at a local church.
Home to around 14,000 refugees from all over the world, Utica gained its reputation as the 'town that loves refugees.' Hamilton's close proximity to Utica allows us to actively volunteer in the local refugee community. Our activities include tutoring at BOCES, visiting the Bosnian Islamic Association and attending a naturalization ceremony. Indoor camping takes place in an area community center or church.
Trip participants will work with Utica youth (elementary to middle school) who are part of the area's large refugee community, creating day-camp type activities (crafts, music, sports) on one of the days at an area church, and then accompanying the kids to the church’s beautiful retreat center on the second day. There will also be an opportunity to visit the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees and participate in a conversation class with adult refugees from Myanmar, Somalia, and other parts of the world. Indoor camping in an area community center or church.
The Cornhill neighborhood in nearby Utica, NY is home to several human service agencies: Hope House, a free meal program for the homeless and hungry; Emmaus House, a shelter for women and their children; and others. Participants will do volunteer projects at several of these agencies and also take some time to explore Utica, home to a large and diverse refugee population. Participants will "camp" indoors at a historic church and will have an opportunity to gather with other OA groups and enjoy a dinner out at one of Utica's many diverse restaurants.
Contact
Contact Name
Tessa Chefalo
Assistant Dean of Students for Student Engagement
