Berkeley College Student-Veterans Deliver Holiday Cheer to Young Patients at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital

11 December 2019



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019	Contact: Ilene Greenfield Director of Media Relations 973-278-5400, ext. 1-5122 igl@BerkeleyCollege.edu

BERKELEY COLLEGE STUDENT-VETERANS DELIVER HOLIDAY CHEER TO YOUNG PATIENTS AT ST. JOSEPH’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL – INCLUDING A MEMBER OF THEIR OWN MILITARY FAMILY
Photo Caption (L to R): Julie Mayers, Recreation Therapist, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital; Berkeley College student-veterans Josephine Cornacchia, Gabrielle Peralta and James Piedraihita; and William Copeck, Nurse Manager, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, stand with boxes of toys and games delivered by Berkeley College to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ. Ms. Cornacchia’s son, Antwann, receives treatment at the hospital. Share the News: @BerkeleyCollege #Military #BerkeleyCares The Berkeley College Office of Military and Veterans Affairs (OMVA) and the Spartans student club recently donated more than 200 toys and games to young patients at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ. The need to spread holiday cheer hits close to home for the Berkeley College military family, which last year learned that the son of a fellow student-veteran was receiving regular treatments as a patient at the facility. “When we learned that one of our student-veterans makes routine visits to the hospital with her son, Berkeley College and our student-veterans jumped at the opportunity to provide a little extra cheer for children visiting the clinic,” said Tami Pichardo, Senior Director, Berkeley College Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. This year, the OMVA set out to expand its giving initiative and collected four boxes of new toys, with assistance from Berkeley College students, faculty, staff and local businesses including Dora's Naturals, a food and beverage logistics company in South Hackensack, NJ. St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, a state-designated specialized children’s hospital at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, serves 200 families – roughly 30 patients each day, from newborns to age 21. “Our children’s hospital relies on donors like Berkeley College to help the pediatric hematology/oncology patients through a difficult time,” said Julie Mayers, Recreational Therapist, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. “The gifts that were donated help our staff spread holiday cheer to many of the chronic pediatric patients who receive care on a regular basis.” Berkeley College serves 400 military-aligned students, and has been recognized for its resources for student-veterans by U.S. News & World Report, Military Times magazine, U.S. Veterans Magazine, and Military Advanced Education & Transition. The Berkeley College Office of Military and Veterans Affairs provides support through six on-site veterans resource centers (VRCs) in New Jersey and New York, as well as through an Online VRC. Photo Caption: (Left) Berkeley College students James Piedraihita, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, and Gabrielle Peralta, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, both members of the Berkeley College Spartans club, unload boxes of toys and games at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ. (Right) Antwann Code, 7, the son of a Berkeley College student-veteran, looks over the toys delivered by Berkeley College before an appointment at the hospital.
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