From annual special events to year-long projects, the 114 student leaders and countless participants at the Meelia Center for Community Engagement filled the 2024-2025 academic year with meaningful service.
1,305 students engaged with the Saint Anselm College and greater Manchester community, working with over 50 community partners for a total of 18,950 hours.
Community engagement has once again proved to be an important aspect of student life, with 65% of the student body engaging in service.
To kick off the new school year, new students engaged for a combined 1,685 hours during the annual Brian Maguire Day of Service.
Community-engaged learners, who fulfilled a portion of their course credit by forming meaningful relationships with members of the New Hampshire community, completed 13,478 hours this year.
When Thanksgiving came around, the entire Saint Anselm community worked in partnership with the Meelia Center and Campus Ministry to fill over 150 Thanksgiving meal baskets for community members in need.
A pillar of the Meelia Center’s outreach, Access Academy, enrolled 202 Manchester School District students in the extended learning opportunity courses led by dedicated Saint Anselm students and faculty. 92% of the enrolled students earned high school credits that point them toward graduation.
The Community Center at Saint Raphael Parish, a long-time partner of the College, held 9 events and was a hub for support, child care, and education. The Community Center is a collaboration between Saint Raphael Parish, International Institute of New England, and the Meelia Center.
This year, 56 ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students attended classes and 115 families engaged in programing. Each week, between 30 and 40 families utilized the food pantry, where Professor Jaime Orrego’s students volunteered as translators for Spanish-speaking neighbors.
Conversation Clubs, which were hosted by 36 Community Engaged Learners, created spaces for 32 ESOL students to practice their language skills throughout the year.
New this year, Professor Sandra Cereola led a team of ten skilled students in the operation of a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Tax Program which enabled them to apply classroom knowledge to help community members, ultimately assisting in filing 139 tax returns.
As the year came to a close, the Meelia Center shared its appreciation for the continued support and engagement of both the campus community and its community partners.
