This past winter break, student members of Hillel at the College of Staten Island and other service-minded students from six universities around the country were part of the solution for underprivileged children in the greater Los Angeles area. Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life teamed up with City Year to provide services for the Boys and Girls Club in Santa Monica, sprucing up the facility, painting beautiful and cheerful wall murals, building plant benches, and volunteering in the after-school program. These CSI Hillel students joined 50 other students from campuses around the country for a week of meaningful community service and in-depth exploration of poverty and need across the U.S.

Days were spent doing volunteer work, which included, but was not limited to, building, painting, tutoring children, and serving meals. The participants were prepared for intense days of service and were open to experiential learning as a means to increase knowledge about socioeconomic and social justice issues.

Following a communal dinner, the students participated in campus discussions and listened to speakers. The trip also included a restful Sabbath.

Amy Posner, Executive Director of Hillel at CSI, said, “the trip would not have been possible for our students without the generous support of the Richmond County Bank Foundation, who helped to fund this opportunity for Staten Island young adults.”

Posner added that all undergraduate and graduate students on Staten Island are welcome at Hillel.