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CIA Students Spread Hope in the Hudson Valley

Volunteer Opportunity for CIA Students

Author Annie B. Milostan ’25 is a Baking and Pastry Arts major.

A truly special and meaningful opportunity that CIA students have is volunteering in the community. Once a month, CIA students volunteer with Sparrows Nest, an organization that makes and takes meals to families that have a loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer. CIA students have been volunteering with Sparrows Nest since January 2022 and used to make over a thousand cupcakes, now CIA and Sparrows Nest support roughly 400 families a month. “Delivering homemade meals to families facing a cancer diagnosis in the Hudson Valley” is their slogan and truthfully, I know they mean it. While I was volunteering, I saw a wall of letters addressed to them, every single one was a family thanking them for all they do, and how much the meals have changed their lives and given them hope. I am very grateful to be able to be a part of this group of students because not only do I get to help make someone’s day just a little brighter but it has furthered my inspiration to help others in my career.