30 Days of Giving 2016, Day 30 – A Spirit of Giving Throughout Ulster County CC

SUNY Ulster embraces the opportunity to make a difference. Students across campus collect items to help those in need throughout the year, which brings many stories to report on. Three fine examples are included here below.

Each year the Nursing Club of SUNY Ulster organizes a drive to collect toys for needy children. This year the Angel Tree program will support Christmas Wishes of Ulster County. The Angel Tree is filled with tags that represent children, ages infant to 12 years old. The tag indicates what the child would like and their clothing size. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to take a tag and fulfill a wish. Christmas Wishes of Ulster County was established in 2014 by a local, single mother looking to help 4-5 families have a special Christmas. Now in 2016 they have over 700 children on their Christmas wish list.
SUNY Ulster’s Vet Tech Club is busy year round helping our furry friends. Their annual Holiday drive gives donations to the ASPCA. The group’s other fundraising efforts include raising money to purchase a bullet-resistant vest for a police dog, oxygen masks for fire companies to use on animals, blankets for rescue horses and a microscope for the Humane Society in Kingston. The Vet Tech Club has also purchased dog waste stations for local county parks and donated a tree to the Rhinebeck Equine Veterinary Hospital, Dr. John Steiner Memorial Garden.
The SUNY Ulster Veterans Club and SGO held a Stuff the Ruck drive to assist retired Veterans that now reside in retirement and assisted living facilities across Ulster County. Comfort items were collected and delivered to Golden Hill Health Care Center, Hudson Valley Extended Care Center, Ten Broeck Commons and Woodland Pond facilities to name a few. As part of the Stuff the Ruck event a slideshow was created with photos of students and family members who served in the military.