Cheshire Resident Lends a Hand to Hamden Seniors

• From Quinnipiac University:

Hamden, Conn. – May 17, 2016 – The Quinnipiac Student Nurses Association (QSNA) recently donated $500 in Stop & Shop gift cards to the Hamden Senior Wish Society.

Meriden’s Bailey McClure and Cheshire’s Justin Ragozzino, both freshmen in Quinnipiac University’s School of Nursing and members of QSNA, along with Donna Diaz, QSNA faculty adviser, presented the gift cards on May 10 to Betty Wetmore, co-founder of the Hamden Senior Wish Society.

“It filled us with great joy to be able to make a difference in the lives of our local senior citizens,” McClure said. “The appreciation from Betty Wetmore made the experience very enjoyable and it was a great pleasure to have donated the gift cards to such a great society.”

QSNA was founded in 1997 and is dedicated to providing support and mentoring, learning opportunities and service projects for undergraduate and accelerated nursing students. Members also take part in activities and events that support the surrounding community, including participating in health and wellness programs, collecting Thanksgiving baskets for local families in need, supporting local women and children’s shelters, and holding food and clothing drives for soldiers overseas.

The Hamden Senior Wish Society was established in 2003 and is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to assisting Hamden’s seniors with purchases and expenses they may not be able to afford.

“As freshmen representatives of the Quinnipiac Student Nurses Association, we were very honored to be the ones to present the gift cards to Betty Wetmore and spend time with her hearing all about the great things the Hamden Senior Wish Society does within the community,” Ragozzino said.

Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 6,784 full-time undergraduate and 2,884 graduate and part-time students in 58 undergraduate and more than 20 graduate programs of study in its School of Business and Engineering, School of Communications, School of Education, School of Health Sciences, School of Law, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, School of Nursing and College of Arts and Sciences. Quinnipiac consistently ranks among the top regional universities in the North in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s “Best Colleges” issue. Quinnipiac also is recognized in Princeton Review’s “The Best 380 Colleges.” The Chronicle of Higher Education has named Quinnipiac among the “Great Colleges to Work For.” For more information, please visit www.quinnipiac.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.

Photo: Quinnipiac University freshmen nursing students Bailey McClure, left, and Justin Ragozzino, right, recently presented $500 in Stop & Shop gift cards to Betty Wetmore, center, co-founder of the Hamden Senior Wish Society. (Donna Diaz)