On the Bright Side: Nonprofits aided by area students

The Daily Star reported about hundreds of students, who stepped off campus Saturday to volunteer at area nonprofit organizations in a community service project.

Through ``Into the Streets,'' some SUNY Oneonta and Oneonta Job Corps Academy students spent hours at assigned Oneonta sites, including Saturday's Bread, a soup kitchen; Family Service Association, an assistance program; the Elks Club on Chestnut Street; and Calvary Hill Retreat Center.

About 500 students and 35 organizations from Otsego and Delaware counties signed up to participate, such as Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, the Delaware County Historical Association in Delhi and Gilbert Lake State Park in Laurens. Students met between 9 and 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Chase Gymnasium on campus to join their teams and pick up T-shirts.

``The goal would be to encourage volunteerism by the students and provide services to the community,'' said Linda Drake, director of the Center for Social Responsibility and Community at the State University College at Oneonta. The center organized the community service day, said Drake, who expressed relief after students had left at about 9:30 a.m. for their jobs.

``Today is just a fun day,'' Drake said. ``Students anticipate and look forward to participating.''

The teams were scheduled to spend up to six hours at their assigned site. They did cleanup work, painting, landscaping chores and food preparation, among other tasks. The day's theme was ``Into the Streets: Try it for a day; you may love it for a lifetime.'' Read more here.