Housatonic Students Pitch In For Day of Community Service In Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Students from Housatonic Community College turned out Friday for the college’s fourth annual HCC Day of Community Service to help out others in Bridgeport.

Housatonic Community College students clean up leaves at LifeBridge Community Services in Bridgeport last week.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Students Annania Titus, left, and Stephanie St. Preuve work at LifeBridge's Community Closet.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Director of Student Activities Kelly K. Hope, left, and Karyn Smith, assistant professor of English, work with students in the Community Closet.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Community Closet Program Coordinator Karen Seferi, left, and Community Closet Supervisor Angie Astacio.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Students come out to lend a hand with various tasks at LifeBridge Community Services.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Some of the clothes in LifeBridge's Community Closet.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Skip Pearlman

04/27/2015 5:00 a.m.

Students started the day at Beacon Hall at Housatonic Community College before traveling to LifeBridge Community Services in Bridgeport. There they spent the afternoon volunteering for such tasks as cleaning the grounds, sweeping up leaves, organizing the donation center and filing papers.

"The students are helping us get bulk projects done that aren't done yet," said Karyn Smith, an assistant professor of English who was helping out with the project at the Community Closet. "We're changing from winter to summer clothes. ... Families come in once a month for clothes, school uniforms, linens. ... We get over 1,000 donors a year, organizations also donate to us."

Smith was excited to see the students lend a hand.

"I love it," she said of the project. "The college kids take the task, and they just do it. They don't fool around. The kids take their jobs, and they get it done."

LifeBridge is a 165-year-old social service agency whose mission is to empower people to build a brighter future by linking flexible innovative programs to restore personal capability and develop skills and build a pathway to economic self-sufficiency.

For more info about volunteering at LifeBridge, contact www.volunteer@lifebridgeCT.org.

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