UAlbany Students Deliver Holiday Gifts Through Northern Rivers Partnership

ALBANY, N.Y. (Dec. 7, 2021) – University at Albany students embodied the spirit of the holidays by delivering and unloading hundreds of gifts last week to Northern Rivers Family of Services.

Northern Rivers is a group of human services agencies that work together to help children, adults and families that are in need. Together, the organization serves more than 18,000 individuals in more than 40 counties in New York.

This year’s event marked the 11th annual season that UAlbany has collected and delivered busloads of gifts to Northern Rivers’ Albany location. Its holiday giving program aims to collect 6,000 gifts for 1,400 children between now and Dec. 18.

The Department of Residential Life raised more than $6,000 to purchase toys, clothes and electronics for children in the program through campus donations and fundraising at local restaurants such as Blaze Pizza and Bountiful Bread, along with other small pop-up events at the residential quads.

President Rodríguez joined student volunteers at the Northern Rivers drop-off location on Friday.

There are dozens of other University groups and organizations working to brighten the holidays as well, including:

• UAlbany student club “Building Ladies Up” is preparing homemade holiday cards and well wishes for children at Albany Medical Center.
• Kappa Phi Lambda is assisting 15-Love, a not-for-profit that supports youth in the Capital Region, by collecting books and holiday crafts for children.
• Zeta Phi Beta is leading the “Black Doll Project,” an effort to collect and donate Black or brown dolls this holiday season so that children in the community have dolls that look like them.
• UAlbany’s Leadership and Service Academy is collecting school supplies to assist with replenishing backpacks for local children.
• The School of Public Health’s Maternal and Child Health Program is collecting wish list items for the Albany Ronald McDonald House.
• Sig Rho Recycles, in sponsorship with Fraternity & Sorority Life, is collecting cans and bottles this semester to raise money to support RISSE (Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus).
• UAlbany students are volunteering with the Schenectady Inner City Ministries to pack trucks for food pantry deliveries.
• The School of Criminal Justice is leading a gift drive to benefit families living in the Catholic Charities Family Apartment Program.

UAlbany places a high value on giving back to the community. Each year students complete thousands of hours of service in the Capital Region. Those looking for service opportunities can visit EngageUAlbany.