ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)---The Office of Service and Civic Engagement is partnering with SUNY Schools to get young people involved in giving back to their communities. Through the Empire State Service Corp, college students can do that in a variety of ways—from tutoring grade school kids to working with environmental organizations.
"Service in my opinion, is the gateway back into that sense of commonality," said Lieutenant Governor, Antonio Delgado. "Into that sense of shared humanity. It allows us to be compassionate and love each other in a meaningful way, and we can’t just expect it to happen on its own. We have to be intentional about that work and I think New York is prepared to lead in that regard."
While the office is in its early stages, there are plans to expand service efforts.
"I want to underscore that while we are starting in the first instance with our college campuses, the next iteration is to get beyond the campuses and that’s why it’s so important to bring a chief service officer into the mix whose full attention is devising a wholistic statewide plan to engage everybody across New York."
The Lieutenant Governor said Matt Schaffer has been named Chief Service Officer. According to Delgado, he was the managing director of government partnership at City Year, a national non-profit that helps people who want to serve in schools.
College students involved in the Empire State Service Corp are expected to complete 300 hours of service per year and would make a little over minimum wage. Delgado said already there’s been a lot of interest.
"We have 500 slots that are available currently across SUNY campuses," explained Delgado. "And already approaching over 1,000 applicants."
