All Treats, No Tricks

On Thursday, October 29, students from Evan Weissman’s HNR 100 participated in a civic engagement event with the Syracuse Northeast Community Center (SNCC) on Hawley Ave. SNCC works with community members to provide services and programs to support the needs of the city’s northeast neighborhood, an area with high rates of poverty. The center works with all ages, from young children to senior citizens, to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood while helping to ensure everyone has the opportunity to meet their needs in a dignified manner.

Honors students from Syracuse University worked with SNCC staff to help the center prepare for an upcoming Halloween party. This year, Halloween falls on the weekend, and city leaders are working together to ensure children have the opportunity to enjoy the holiday in a safe and fun environment. The Northeast Community Center is one of nine locations throughout the city open for kids on Halloween, which is a Saturday for the first time since 2009. HNR 100 students put in close to 30 volunteers hours collectively to help prepare the center for the event by assembling games, crafting decorations, and organizing treats. Thanks in part to the efforts of these students, literally hundreds of kids in our community will have a happy and safe Halloween.