The Problem
At Project Rousseau, we believe that the students we help can also benefit from giving something back. Our community service program is at the core of our approach. We believe that our students should develop a regular habit of caring for others and contributing meaningfully to their well-being. Students perform community service every week at one of our service sites, which are most often homeless shelters and nursing homes. We encourage the students to develop strong bonds with those they serve. In addition to the obvious benefits, community service has a hidden benefit in the form of a powerful realization: by having a profound impact on the lives of others, our students learn the extent to which they can have an equally profound impact on improving their own lives. This is among the most powerful realizations that our students have in any of our programs. In particular, we want to have more frequent programs at Grand Central Neighborhood Social Services and other homeless shelters across the city. Our students have cited these programs as being particularly rewarding as they have the opportunity to give back by serving shelter residents with life experiences similar to some of their own. Currently we host brunch at GCN only once a month, but we would love to have a brunch program at GCN or another shelter we have partnered with every Sunday.
