This Campus Celebrity is making waves by breaking stereotypes for poverty. Evelyn Sainato, sophomore, works with the Friday Night Supper program in Boston to provide a safe place, a sense of community, and most importantly, a good meal, for the poverty stricken every Friday night. “I have always had a passion for volunteering my time for people in need, and had volunteered in the past at the shelter in my hometown. When I heard that a fellow Lasell student was looking to pass down the volunteer coordinator position at FNSP I thought it would be a great opportunity for hospitality experience and a way to volunteer for a non-profit organization that was new to me,” said Sainato. She became volunteer coordinator at the end of last summer with responsibilities like greeting and registering new volunteers, being familiar with the history and mission statements of the program, some filing and data entry, and helping both volunteers and guests of the program. Sainato hosted a drive on campus last semester to collect winter clothing and toiletries for the program. She has since passed down the position but still volunteers there every Friday night.
Now, she is taking on yet another project for the FNSP in her honors class. The class, focused on leadership, completes a service learning project of the students’ choice as their big accomplishment for the semester. Sainato advocated for the issue of homelessness, vouching that homeless people are not seen as who they are, and she succeeded. The class split into three groups to work on different programs dealing with poverty and Sainato’s leading a team which will work with the FNSP. After visiting with guests at the program, they will return and distribute a survey that will ask questions ranging from how they like the food they are being served to if they feel safe. After Sainato and her team compile the research, the FNSP will be able to improve their program such as their food and adding additional workshops, for example helping with job applications, which could be offered during dinner. The survey can also be used for government information to improve the issue of homelessness in the future.
Sainato is involved in more than one social issue. “I’ve always been passionate about helping people with developmental disabilities. I was a part of Best Buddies in high school which is when a student with disabilities is paired with a high school student and they form a friendship. I really loved being a part of that,” she said. As part of Best Buddies, she also participated in the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, a movement to stop the use of the r-word, which is currently happening on campus.
Sainato is proving to be a role model at Lasell showing that Lasers can make a difference in the community. If students at Lasell College educate themselves about matters as Evelyn is, our campus could make a lot of progress in social justice issues.
Photo provided by Celebrity