Making meaningful differences is the mission of Milton’s Community Engagement Programs and Partnerships (CEPP). And this important work continues despite the pandemic, as students and their families, faculty, and staff have found ways to help others. CEPP has updated a list of ways to help local and national organizations. Even the simple act of students writing letters to residents in local nursing homes and assisted living facilities has continued community engagement connections.
Victoria Fawcett ’22, Ellie Mraz ’21, and Sofie Mraz ’23, made masks for residents at the Village of Duxbury, a senior living facility in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Fawcett first reached out to see what the residents needed and then used social media to ask for helping hands for their project. They said they received great support and collected enough material to sew over 250 fabric face masks.
“The administrators and residents of the facility really appreciated the many days of work we put into making the masks,” said Fawcett. “Not only did we have fun, but it was tremendously rewarding to help others in need, especially during this difficult time.”
Dr. Rachel Hitt, mother of Ben Hitt ’21, was concerned how many COVID-19 patients end up isolated and without their phones in intensive care units, unable to see or spend time with loved ones. She started Ipads4covidcare and along with Grant Robinson’s ’20 family, they have collected, cleaned, and delivered donated devices to Boston-area hospitals. Their story was featured on various news outlets.
The student CEPP Board and Andrea Geyling’s Activism for Justice in a Digital Age class made videos of students reading storybooks and guiding art activities, exercises, and music for the Taylor School, a public elementary school in Boston where some Milton students volunteer weekly.
“It has been a way for our weekly student volunteers to stay in touch with the kids they had been working with all year,” said Geyling. ”The teachers are posting them on their remote weekly lesson plans. We are also in the process of expanding that project with the Milton public elementary schools and other partner sites, such as Mujeres Unidas Avanzando, with personal video greetings to adult English-language learners.”
