Members of the Newburgh Free Academy Interact Club stand with items donated as part of an annual winter coat drive.
Winter Coat Drive
Students in the Newburgh Free Academy Interact Club recently collected 75 coats, along with blankers and sweaters for local residents this winter. The month-long winter coat drive benefit sthe Hudson Valley Coat Drive sponsored by Guardian Self Storage.
Senior Chrysanthe Gianiodis, who is president of the Interact Club, said the drive builds awareness of people in need. “There are so many people in the Hudson Valley that have less than we do –we take it for granted sometimes. If even by donating one coat we can make someone a little warmer this winter it was worth it,” she said.
On behalf of Newburgh Free Academy students and staff, students Emily Bonnabeau, Kelsey Deima, Kelli Iser, Allie Knabbe, Mirna Wilson and recent NFA graduate Harvel Brown, along with the teachers, Karen Stafford and Chris Cotton, accepted the Hope Award.
Hope Award
Students and two teachers at NFA received the Hope Award from Safe Homes of the Harbor recently as a result of their work on behalf of Safe Homes.
Each year, Newburgh Free Academy students hold a food drive to support the Safe Homes Food Pantry, and collect donations to spread holiday cheer to Safe Homes families and children. This past spring, over 200 baskets were stuffed with small gifts and necessities for Safe Homes recipients as part of the new initiative Emma’s Baskets thanks to the generosity of NFA students and staff.
According to NFA teacher Karen Stafford, “The names of the programs, Emma’s Food Drive, Emma’s Stockings, and now Emma’s Baskets, were named in honor of my grandmother Emma Cocchia who was a great humanitarian in the Newburgh area. We do this in her memory.”
The award was presented at the annual dinner of Safe Homes of Orange County at the Falkirk Country Club.
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