Saint Rose students called to volunteer

Albany—With the hopes of inspiring college students to help out in the community, two speakers were here on campus recently to discuss the social and community problems in the city of Albany.  The meeting was set up and led by Jessica Phelps a senior Social Work major here at Saint Rose.

            Key speakers at the meeting were Tanya Zelman a Neighborhood Health Advocate from West Hill, and Rev. Duncan Bailey, a youth pastor in Albany.  Their ongoing goal is to get the students to come out and volunteer in the community.  Local community organizations are in need of more volunteers and college students are, they say, the key to the problem.

            The meeting was held Monday, November 6 in the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary.  Though the message was addressed to a small crowd, it was clear: Saint Rose students are just the channels needed to reach out to the community. 

 “We are five minutes away from an impoverished neighborhood,” said Phelps.  “Once you realize that we are so close to a neighborhood that is so much in need, you can’t help but want to volunteer.”

            The college is in a unique spot because it is walking distance to Albany High School and West Hill, the areas that Zelman and Bailey are interested in getting volunteers into. 

After dismissal from school, the students go home, and in most cases, are unsupervised until parents or guardians get home from work.  This is the time period when volunteers are needed for after school activities.  

             “We need to build bridges, trust, with these people,” Zelman said.  Some of the kids in this area don’t have strong trust relationships because they have no one to teach them to trust.  The strong influence of gangs and crime is only strengthened by boredom and lack of supervision.  In search of some sense of friendship and community values kids turn to gangs for that sense of protection.

“Things, morals, are trivialized.  Culture is changing,” said Bailey.  After school programs provide an alternative to crime and give kids that sense of community they are searching for.  They also provide a way for kids to establish goals that don’t lead them to lives of crime.

College students are the perfect individuals to inspire and encourage the kids who attend Albany High and other local schools.  Albany High students need to see that the prospect of going to college is possible for them.  Communication is essential in these situations, and communication will start to build back the trust that some kids in the area are lacking.

So what can college students do to help?  Where can you go to volunteer?  The Community Service Office, located at 950 Madison Ave., has information on the places in need and suggestions for places to volunteer.  The office is run by Ken Scott.  He can be reached by phone at 458-5359.  Or go to any of the local schools and ask if they are in need of volunteers for any programs. 

And don’t worry about making first impressions with the kids.  Bailey said no matter what, “They will love you.”