05/09/2026
Dear Binghamton University Volunteers and 2026 Graduates,
I wanted to take a moment to write to all of you who have come to our organization, engaged with our administration and staff, met our members, and touched each of their lives — and mine — in ways you may never fully realize.
When I first met many of you, I hoped to help broaden the way you viewed diversity and disability through a deeper lens of compassion, beauty, and privilege. Through our initial meetings, I quickly learned that many of you already carried stories and experiences that made volunteering here a natural choice. Some of you had worked with individuals with special needs, spent time in senior centers, or had family members living with a diagnosis or disability.
You also learned the story behind why Compassionate Care of Central New York was founded — out of the need to support a family member who sustained a traumatic brain injury. After hearing our story, many of you immediately wanted to become part of what we do. Some of you even wanted to begin volunteering the very next day. For that, I am comforted in knowing that love, compassion, and commitment still exist so strongly in this world.
I would especially like to thank Kyra at the Center for Civic Engagement for recognizing how well each of you would connect with our mission and principles, and for helping you discover our volunteer initiative. We also have Andrew to thank for the tremendous growth in our Empire Service Corps initiatives and programs this semester as a new avenue to become involved in the great work we do .
Since 2019, our organization has been fortunate to welcome incredibly intelligent, dynamic, and caring students who were eager to jump in and participate in activities both within our program and throughout the community. Every day you walked through our doors, you made our members smile, feel valued, and experience genuine friendship. As the semester comes to a close and some of you begin your next adventures in the professional world, please know that your time here will never be forgotten.
Simply put: you made a difference, and you are loved.
I encourage you to share this letter with your family members or support systems — the people who helped instill in you a respect and appreciation for all lives. Please thank them for helping guide you to Compassionate Care of Central New York.
Thank you for choosing us as your volunteer site, and thank you for your commitment to supporting individuals with traumatic brain injuries in our community.
With gratitude,
Jeffrey
