Livingston CARES’ mission is to help communities and individuals locally, regionally, statewide, nationwide and globally in humanitarian projects including disaster relief and recovery efforts. CARES also provides a resource and information repository for individuals and organizations wishing to contribute to disaster recovery efforts. 
Livingston CARES Newsletter Issue 3
October, 2020
News and Updates:
Members of the 2019-20 Board of Directors
New Board Members for the 2020-2021 Academic Year:

This year, our board has elected three new student members, one member of the SUNY Geneseo campus community, and one community member to serve for the 2020-21 year. We also have one student returning to serve with us for a second term. We would like to thank these new and returning members for taking on this commitment and contributing actively to the mission of Livingston CARES!

The student members serving on the board this year are Adam Clarke, Karissa Garbarini, Jules Orcutt, and Parker Slawetsk. Karissa is a junior neuroscience major currently residing in Geneseo. Jules is a sophomore political science major from Buffalo, NY. Adam Clarke, a senior economics major from Long Island. Adam has been a member since 2019 and has gone on three CARES trips. Parker Slawetsky is a junior history major residing in Geneseo.

Glenn Geiser-Getz was elected to the board this year. Glenn is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the College. Angela Ellis joined Glenn on the board and is the Deputy County Administrator – Planning & Special Projects, Livingston County We are delighted to continue working on creating lasting relationships with Geneseo students and strengthening our connections with the campus community through the help of our board members.
Livingston CARES 15th Anniversary Celebration:

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in our virtual 15th anniversary celebration earlier this month! Livingston CARES would not be able to accomplish as much without our volunteers, and we are grateful for everyone's dedication and hard work to improve communities outside of Livingston County and across the United States.

If you'd like to watch a recording of the event please visit: Livingston CARES 15th Anniversary Celebration.

Please see below plans for upcoming virtual reunions for members of our 2011 trips to Biloxi and our 2019 trips to the Florida Keys.
2019 Texas gulf coast trip volunteers
2019 volunteers in Staten Island
Following up on our commitment to solidarity with the Black community:

Fulfilling one of action steps outlined in our Solidarity Statement with the Black Community, our board members will be participating in an implicit bias training with the help of SUNY Geneseo's chief diversity officer, robbie routenberg during our board meeting on October 19.

We are also developing trainings for our trip participants to learn about diversity and inclusion relating to working in communities that have been hard hit by natural disasters. We will also integrate information about the history of the location and the people they are going to serve.

Due to COVID-19 we are still working on plans for the remaining 2020 and 2021 trips. We are devoted to continue seeking new, exciting and creative ways to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) through our organization. To read our full Statement of Solidarity, please follow this link: https://www.geneseo.edu/livingston-cares.
Actions Regarding the Recent West Coast Wildfires:
At the most recent CARES meeting, our board moved to approve a fund that provides aid to support communities impacted by the fires on the West Coast as well as those impacted by the hurricanes and flooding in the gulf coast and south eastern United States . The project will be called the "2020 Disaster Recovery Fund" and donations can be directed to these two areas of need.

The response to the wildfires emerged after two students from the Geneseo campus community reached out to the CARES Board of Directors out of concern for groups who have been forced to undergo challenging circumstances due to the intense nature of the fires.

CARES is currently in the process of building a coalition of campus and community members including those from the Greek community on campus, Sustainability, Livingston CARES interns and student workers, and individual students to strategize the short and long term response that we as an organization can coordinate to do the most good for our fellow citizens out west. Simultaneously we are reaching out to Colleges and Universities on the west coast to develop partnerships in the academic community that could support our efforts.

If you are interested in donating to the 2020-2021 Disaster Recovery Fund please use the link below.
Please also consider using Amazon Smile during next week's Prime Day on Oct. 13 & 14 (and everyday of the year!) to direct funds to Livingston CARES. Follow this link: to connect your Prime account with Livingston CARES:
Upcoming Events
Virtual Reunion for Service Trip Groups!
After the positive feedback we received fro our 15th Anniversary Celebration we have decided to host virtual reunions for specific trips and locations! We are hoping these virtual events will help you reconnect with your fellow trip participants and reminisce about your experiences.

We currently have three reunions scheduled for the following dates and trips:

  • 2019 trip to the Florida Keys - Wednesday, November 18, 6:00 - 7:00 pm
  • January 2006 trip to Biloxi - our inaugural Livingston CARES trip - Monday December 7, 6:00 - 7:00 pm
  • 2011 trips to Biloxi - Wednesday, December 9, 6:00 - 7:00 pm

If you volunteered on one of the trips and want to be added to the contact list for these reunions, or if you don't see your trip here and want to organize a reunion for your group please email CARES@geneseo.edu and we'll connect you!
Did you want to catch up on Livingston CARES' history?

If you wish to see the impact Livingston CARES has had throughout the years, you can use this link to view 15 years of trips, programs, people, projects, and more:
If you'd like to be added to our mailing list please send an email to cares@geneseo.edu with your contact info and we'll add you to our distribution list.