NVCC College Students Give Back to Community

WATERBURY, CT - The 2022 National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) Club at NVCC completed a campaign to collect donations for two local women's shelters. Club members held a donation drive to collect necessities such as food and personal care items to donate to those who are in greater need within our community. Carolyn Vazquez, NSNA president, explained that they selected two non-profit organizations that serve victims of domestic and sexual violence, Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury and Women's Center of Greater Danbury. She commented, “We contacted each organization to discuss their specific client needs, then shared that information with our class to collect donations. It was the compassion of our fellow classmates that made this initiative so successful. We are thankful for that!”

The students collected over 100 items that they brought to campus. All members of the Class of 2022 had the opportunity to participate, and the drive helped to increase their knowledge of resources for domestic and sexual violence in the Waterbury and Danbury areas.

NVCC’s Early Childhood Education Club (ECE) followed the same generous example in their service project this past semester. ECE club members completed a literacy project for disadvantaged young children and families in the Waterbury area. They met on a Sunday afternoon in a local park to assemble 32 literacy baskets that they distributed to preschoolers at the Children’s Community School in downtown Waterbury. Donating their own money, the club members purchased the baskets, finger puppets, sets of markers, pads, and basket filler. They then added this collection of items to books purchased with funds raised by members pre-pandemic. Professor Cindy Meo, ECE Club Advisor and ECE Program Coordinator, commented, "I am so proud of the ECE student’s initiative and generosity during an academic year that was challenging for NVCC Student Clubs in so many ways.”