The Notre Dame Club spring cleaning at Astor Rain and cold didn’t deter volunteers

The Notre Dame Club spring cleaning at Astor

Rain and cold didn’t deter volunteers

 

 

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – In honor of Notre Dame’s Annual Hesburgh* Month of Service, Astor welcomed the Notre Dame Club of the Mid-Hudson Valley this past Saturday at Astor’s early childhood program (ECP) facility in Poughkeepsie. At this sponsored day of volunteer work, a group of Notre Dame Alumni, family, friends and Astor staff worked on beautifying the gardens for the children. This included cleaning out cleaned out a large and difficult area to maintain. The damp and cool conditions didn’t stop the volunteer crew from accomplishing an enormous feat.

 

“The sun didn’t shine down on members of our club Saturday, but I truly believe Father Hesburgh would have been very pleased to see our club members working side by side with the small army of young volunteers from the Bruderhof Community. This was the seventh consecutive year that our club has worked in memory of Fr Hesburgh at one of the Astor Services for Children & Families properties in the Hudson Valley. A wonderful experience for all who participated”,said Les McCarthy 2016 Hesburgh Initiative event chairperson.

 

*The annual Hesburgh Month of Service began in 2007, aiming to honor Father Hesburgh’s 90th birthday with 90 Notre Dame clubs hosting volunteer projects in collaboration with the Alumni Association. 

 

About Astor

Since 1953, Astor Services for Children & Families (formerly The Astor Home for Children) has been providing behavioral and educational services in a caring environment where children and their families find strength, healing, hope and trust. Now serving more than 6,000 children and families annually in over 33 locations, Astor’s current range of services in the Hudson Valley (Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties) and the Bronx include: Residential Programs (for children ages 5-14 who have severe behavior and mental health challenges); Early Childhood Programs (in Dutchess County, Astor operates the Early Head Start and Head Start Programs, which are federal early childhood programs for low-income families); and Community-Based Behavioral Health and Prevention Services (outpatient mental health services).

 

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Kneeling  L-R- Simeon Winter (Bruderhof counselor) Les McCarthy, Notre Dame Club member

 2nd row L-R  Katherine Scott (Bruderhof counselor) ND Club Members- Peter Johantgen, Joe Spiegel, Erin Rider, Chris Spiegel and 14 young volunteers from the Bruderhof Community.

Author: Harlem Valley News