UC Women's Basketball Team Gives a Helping Hand at the Hope House

Every year the Utica College women’s basketball team participates in many community service events. This year, the Pioneers have started early by helping serve meals at the local Hope House, in Utica, NY.

“When someone would talk to me at the Hope House it made me feel like I was making a difference in their day,” said all-conference forward Jessica Berry (Rome, NY). “It also made me value and appreciate my family, friends and life more. If I could get even one of the people there to smile or laugh it made my time there worth while.”

The Hope House serves three meals a day, seven days a week to those in need. The team was able to donate their time and efforts three weekends so far this Fall.

“The Hope House is always an eye opening experience,” said senior forward Danielle Moore (East Orange, NJ). “Volunteering our time and helping others is just one of the rewards of being apart of this team.”

The Hope House is one of the many volunteering acts that the team participates in. Others include help running the Winter Special Olympics, and a clinic for all the local Girl Scouts. They not only contribute their time, but they each donate their own money and buy necessities such as shampoo, tooth brush and tooth paste, etc. around the holidays, as the Hope House puts little goody bags together for those in need.