Student Highlight: Anna Shupack '23
Anna Shupack ’22 has been actively engaging in her community in the past few weeks. Of the many projects she is involved with, Anna enjoys volunteering her time for the South End Children’s Cafe the most. This organization, based in Albany, runs after-school programs and helps provide food security for kids. Due to the pandemic, the organization has started to collect groceries and deliver them to families in need of extra support. Anna has helped with picking up donations at restaurants, dropping them off at the center, and delivering groceries to families. In order to keep herself and others safe, Anna follows strict procedures to make sure that she does not come in close contact with anyone or risk spreading germs.
“It has been really nice to help out an organization that is doing very important work to make sure everyone has the support they need right now”, Anna said. “I was thinking about how hard it must be for all of these kids to be so isolated and how much pressure there is on their families.”
This led to her creating art kits to be donated to kids around Albany. The art supplies are provided by her mother’s business, The Albany Art Room. Anna also collects book donations to include in the art kits.
“I try to cater each package to the age and interest of the child. It has been really nice to get to know the kids and their families from afar and get involved with this work.”
Anna was then asked to put her art skills to use and paint a mural at the South End Children’s Café for the 518 Rainbow Hunt, which is an initiative based near Albany and inspired by similar initiatives in Italy. The idea is for people to hang images of rainbows in their windows, post pictures on social media with the hashtag #518rainbowhunt, and take drives or walks to find other rainbows, all the while maintaining appropriate social distancing measures. (Check out the Facebook page @518RainbowHunt and follow the hashtag on Instagram!)
Another way that Anna is getting involved in her community during this time is through her internship with Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson, which is a grassroots organization based in the Hudson Valley that fights for immigrant justice, utility justice, and other civic engagement campaigns. Some of Anna’s tasks include calling residents in Dutchess, Orange, and Ulster Counties to check in with them and make sure they have access to necessary resources, such as food delivery, childcare, financial support, and more.
Anna Shupack is just one of the many Bard community members finding ways to engage in her own local community and help those who are struggling during this time. Follow the Bard Center for Civic Engagement to learn of opportunities for you to get engaged with our community, or look for opportunities near you!
Post Date: 04-17-2020