During the holiday season, many of the 9,300 CSEA members in Nassau County, take some time out of their busy schedule to give back to the community. In addition to contributing to CSEA programs such as “Adopt a Family” and the Toys for Tots program, many members participate in programs organized by local charities and churches.

 

Several members from Nassau Community College exemplify the true spirit of the Holiday season each year. Unit President Denise Gunn has done food and toy donations during Thanksgiving and Christmas at Our Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Freeport.   She also helped organize a truckload of toys to be donated to a small church in Hempstead.

 

Marianne Taylor of NCC, volunteers with her family at a Soup Kitchen at Sacred Heart Church in Island Park on Thanksgiving. Taylor teaches line dancing and asked the dancers to bring in non-perishable items and baskets were made for families at the Soup Kitchen to go home with.  She is also collecting unwrapped gifts from her line dancing class for the St. John’s Bread of Life Soup Kitchen.

 

Debra McDonald of NCC, has been volunteering as a Religious Education Teacher at St. Raphael’s in East Meadow, and had her 5^th grade class make handmade Thanksgiving cards for a local senior center. Her three daughters went to the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility to hand out the cards and called the response “priceless.” She will be doing the same for the holiday season.