This year, Hudson Valley Community College is participating in 12 Days of Giving, a collection for clothing, toiletries and other items to benefit Joseph’s House, a homeless shelter serving the Capital Region. Many members of the college community have chosen to give, but Kelly DiDomenick, a technical services laboratory assistant in the college’s Science Center, has a more personal connection to the cause than most.
Kelly’s brother, Kyle, passed away last year, on Dec. 13, 2017, at only 29 years old. Kyle suffered from severe epilepsy, and at one point before his passing, he found himself living in a homeless shelter in Connecticut. With help from the shelter and other services, he was able to secure both a job and an apartment before he passed away due to complications from the disease, which helped to make the last months of his life a happy, promising time.
To honor the first anniversary of her brother’s passing, Kelly has brought together members of Hudson Valley’s Technical Services and Biology, Chemistry and Physics departments, to participate in 12 Days of Giving.
“He had a positive experience at the shelter,” she said. “So I saw this as a way to give back and do something to honor his memory.” It was especially poignant that the 12 Days of Giving drive ends on Dec. 13, which marks one year to the day since Kyle’s passing.
“I want to share the importance of donating, and I hope this also helps boost awareness about epilepsy,” said Kelly. She points out that homelessness is an issue that can affect anyone — not just those with addictions or psychological issues. “The last time I saw Kyle, he told me that he met people from all walks of life at the shelter. [Homelessness] could happen to anyone,” she says. “The experience helped him care more about people in general and their well being.”
By sharing that perspective, she hopes to inspire more people to give what they can to help those like Kyle, who are simply striving for a second chance at life. “The best way to help the homeless is to donate to services like Joseph’s House that will help them,” she says. “Supporting services like that in our community is so important. It does so much good, and it can really help save a life.”
This year’s 12 Days of Giving drive kicked off on Wednesday, Nov. 28 and already, college students, faculty and staff have collected nearly 1,000 items to benefit the area’s homeless population. (Click here to see the latest giving tally.)
The drive concludes Thursday, Dec. 13. Items needed include new clothing, especially winter items like heavy socks and gloves, long sleeved shirts and sweatshirts, sweatpants, long johns, hats/mittens/scarves, underwear and slippers for both men and women, and sports bras of all sizes, along with full-size personal care products ranging from soap and shampoo to laundry detergent. A full list of needed items and drop-off locations can be found here.
If you have questions about 12 Days of Giving, please feel free to contact Carol Bosco at c.bosco@hvcc.edu or (518) 629-7409 or Laurie Conroy at l.conroy@hvcc.edu or (518) 629-7887.
Published: Fri, 07 Dec 2018 13:15:47 +0000 by t.farrell1