S.A.A.C. takes on #HashtagLunchbag

Release by S.A.A.C Executive Board

On April 28th, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) representatives made 60 bagged lunches and delivered them to the Park Slope Women's shelter. Each lunch bag contained a sandwich, a water bottle, fruit, a cookie, and a note for encouragement.

The event that took place is part of a larger movement called "#HashtagLunchbag" which aims to provide food for people who need it most. It is a movement that originated in 2012 in the Los Angeles area when a group of friends came together and developed a creative way to give back to their community.

Since the conception of the idea in 2012, they have been able to witness their vision come to fruition. In fact, people from all over the world in over 100 different cities have participated in #HashtagLunchbag, and now the Bears can say they have too!

The experience was extremely rewarding for the S.A.A.C. representatives involved. Sophomore Student-Athlete, Denise Trerotola said, "I thought it was really great to see all the athletes from the different teams come together for this one specific cause. I also think it's important for the athletes, especially those in S.A.A.C., to give back to the community because we are one of the largest groups on campus. If other people see us volunteering, then they'll want to volunteer too. The most rewarding part for me is knowing that our small, selfless act definitely made a huge impact on the women at the shelter. I'm really looking forward to the next time I get to do something like this."

Alec Willis, S.A.A.C. treasurer, added, "The experience of participating in #HashtagLunchbag was very enriching for me, as well as very humbling. It opened my eyes to a major issue that many people push aside. The issue is that there are many people very close to home in our communities who need food and the people at #HashtagLunchbag, along with those who support them, are the ones who are doing a great job in providing a solution. This was my first time taking part in something like this and I definitely want to make a habit out of it."

Denise and Alec, along with anyone else seeking to make an impact in the community may not have to wait very long to do such an event again. It has been discussed by the members of the S.A.A.C. executive board that the event that took place at the Park Slope Women's Shelter in corroboration with #HashtagLunchbag will happen again. The President of S.A.A.C., Kristen Candelaria noted, "This is just the beginning of what I hope to be a long-lasting tradition for S.A.A.C. at St. Joseph's College."

S.A.A.C. is looking forward to building on its new-found partnership with the Park Slope Women's Shelter, as well as #HashtagLunchbag. They are calling all student-athletes at St. Joseph's College who are interested in taking part in events like this to please come forward and not be afraid to get involved.

If you want to do MORE with your college experience then you can. It doesn't have to end on the field, court, or in the pool. You can do MORE on your campus and in the community. Join S.A.A.C.!

Contact President Kristen Candelaria (kcandelaria@student.sjcny.edu) or Treasurer Alec Willis (awillis@student.sjcny.edu) for more information on how to get involved.