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SUOAF donates $3,000 to local soup kitchen

Published on January 18, 2024

SUOAF donates $3,000 to local soup kitchen

SUOAF
Eastern SUOAF chapter members Leigh Balducci, Zachary Stygar (middle right) and Angela Bazin gather for a photo with Ray Aramini, board member for the Covenant Soup Kitchen, to commemorate the SUOAF union's donation. 

Eastern’s union for administrative faculty, SUOAF, donated $3,000 to the Covenant Soup Kitchen this recent holiday season. The gift goes toward the soup kitchen’s annual Plunge For Hunger fundraiser, which has an overall goal of $150,000 to support the Willimantic agency’s efforts to alleviate food insecurity.

During their annual holiday party on Dec. 12, individual SUOAF members donated $1,500, which was matched by the union’s local chapter at Eastern. That total will again be matched by the Windham-based Pageau Trust, bringing Eastern SUOAF’s total contribution to $6,000.  

“These donations keep the doors open and food on the table,” said Ray Aramini, rugby coach at Eastern and soup kitchen board member. “Eastern is on the forefront (of supporting Covenant), and not just during the Plunge.”

The rugby team has spearheaded the Plunge for Hunger fundraiser for 13 years, and other Eastern organizations regularly support Covenant via philanthropy and volunteerism. 

“Everyone might not be available to volunteer, but at least we can give back this way, and it means all the more during the holidays,” said Leigh Balducci, president of Eastern’s SUOAF chapter and graphic designer for the Office of University Relations.

Eastern SUOAF Treasurer Angela Bazin, director of Housing and Residential Life, agreed: “It's good to give back to the community that we’re a part of.”

Written by Michael Rouleau

Categories: Community Engagement, Administration