The Zeta Zeta Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), an international honor society in education, has been selected as a national award winner for service for their program “A Voice to Remember.” The group will be recognized for their outstanding service at the 47th biennial convocation of KDP in October 2009 in Orlando, Fla.

The chapter members, who are students and alumni of the School of Education, chose to focus on helping incarcerated mothers and their children. Barbara Chorzempa (Education) served as adviser.

Through “A Voice to Remember,” members collected book donations and supplied money to help these mothers connect with their children through literacy. Eighteen incarcerated mothers participated and their 25 children each received a new book, an audiotape of their mother reading the book, a handwritten card and, if needed, a tape player to listen to the book. Zeta Zeta chapter members plan to make this an annual project.

For more information about the Zeta Zeta chapter and its activities, visit www.newpaltz.edu/schoolofed/kappa_delta.html.

Faculty and staff can help feed the needs of local residents over the age of 55 by participating in this year’s Make a Difference Day.

Make a Difference Day, which takes place nationwide on Saturday, Oct. 25, gets underway on Oct. 24 with a food drive to benefit the Ulster County Office of the Aging’s Meals on Wheels program. The year marks the fourth time the college has participated in the national day of community service created by USA Weekend.

“This is really where the campus community can get the most involved,” said Michael Patterson, director of Student Activities and Union Services, “and it is where there is the most need.”

Non-perishable food items will be collected from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, in the Student Union Building Multi-Purpose Room. A shopping list of needed single-serving items can be found at www.newpaltz.edu/sub/MADD08item_list.pdf.

Mary Jo DeForest, deputy director of the Ulster County Office for the Aging, said the donated items will be used to provide emergency food packs for approximately 600 residents during winter storms and power outages.

“We are grateful to be able to provide additional emergency meals for homebound senior citizens,” she said.

On Saturday, Oct. 25, the official Make a Difference Day, volunteers will pack up the food donations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and deliver them to the Ulster County Office of the Aging.

The day of giving back will continue into the evening when the college hosts a free music concert from 7 to 9 p.m. for senior residents and their caregivers. “An Evening of Music: Celebrating Community Members Over 55” will feature performances by such student groups as the Vince Tampio Jazz Quartet; Absolute A Cappella; and the Sexy Pitches; as well as Christine Sweeny ’09 (Music).

In addition to providing the evening’s entertainment, New Paltz students will serve as ushers for the event. Patterson said the concert will provide students with an opportunity to socialize and learn from senior citizens.

DeForest said the concert is a great way to bring together people from different generations, and the Ulster County Office of the Aging is pleased to be a sponsor of the event.

“It is wonderful to be involved with an academic institution that fosters caring relationships between students and staff with local agencies serving their communities,” said DeForest.

The evening will conclude with a free coffee and dessert buffet compliments of Campus Auxiliary Services and Sodexo.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Activities at x3025 or
www.newpaltz.edu/sub.