Damage caused by Hurricane Michael in Panama City, FL. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0/Flickr user Florida Fish and Wildlife)
For nearly 13 years, Geneseo students, faculty, staff and community residents have helped homeowners in the Biloxi area with long-range and short-term recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Conducted through Livingston CARES, SUNY Geneseo’s non-profit humanitarian organization, these efforts serve as one of the College’s longest-running relief commitments.
A unique partnership between SUNY Geneseo, the Town and Village of Geneseo, the Livingston County Chamber of Commerce, the Livingston County Administrator and Board of Supervisors, Livingston CARES has facilitated 40 trips to the Biloxi region alone.
Since Katrina, Livingston CARES has expanded its geographic reach, organizing a range of service trips to communities impacted by Hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, Irma and Maria. The group has sent nearly 1,400 volunteers on 63 service trips to work on over 100 homes and community projects.
This year Livingston CARES is offering more trips than ever before, to more cities. Eleven week-long trips will be offered in 2019 and Livingston CARES welcomes the participation of campus members and community residents. Registration is open and trips are filled on a first come, first served basis.
Dates and locations of the trips include:
Winter Break Trips, January 12–19
Florida Keys — Hurricane Irma recovery
Houston, TX — Hurricane Harvey recovery
Puerto Rico — Hurricane Maria recovery
Spring Break Trips, March 16–23
Atlanta, GA — Civil rights cultural and historical service experience led by Provost Stacey Robertson and Assistant Professor Catherine Adams.
Biloxi, MS — Hurricane Katrina long-term recovery and poverty abatement
Brooklyn, NY — Hurricane Sandy long-term recovery
Florida Keys — Hurricane Irma recovery
Florida Panhandle - JUST ADDED — Hurricane Michael recovery
Puerto Rico — Hurricane Maria recovery
Post-Academic Year Trips, May 18–25
Florida Keys — Hurricane Irma recovery
Puerto Rico — Hurricane Maria recovery
As part of the Governor Cuomo's initiative to help in the Hurricane Maria recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, SUNY is now able to provide SUNY Geneseo and Livingston CARES with $400.00 per student or staff volunteers, $30.00 for insurance, and tuition scholarships for the May service week. The January and March service learning trip class is offered as a spring semester course for no additional cost to students. The May trip occurs after the spring semester and SUNY will cover the tuition cost for students on that service trip.
For more information on participating, visit the program's website, contact Nick Palumbo, interim director of Leadership and Service: palumbon@geneseo.edu, (585) 245-5857; Garth Freeman, coordinator of Student Volunteerism, and Community Engagement: freeman@geneseo.edu, (585) 245-5893; or Tom Matthews, senior advisor for Leadership and Service Programs and president of Livingston CARES, matthews@geneseo.edu.