Pratt Women's Volleyball Volunteers, Makes Donation at Nearby Gibb Mansion

Posted: Oct 31, 2013

Feature courtesy of Pratt Athletics

Women's volleyball PACC community outreach photos

BROOKLYN -- Pratt Institute's women's volleyball team helped plant 180 flower bulbs and made a $200 donation at the Pratt Area Community Council's Gibb Mansion, a local residence featuring over 70 housing units for formerly homeless people living with chronic illness.

"Working with Pratt Area Community Council was a fun and engaging opportunity to help out around the area and learn more about our community," said sophomore Alli Houghton. "The whole team had a blast spending the early afternoon working in the garden, helping keep the Gibb Mansion looking beautiful."

The team spent the m orning of Saturday, October 26 at the Gibb Mansion gardening and planting flower bulbs at PACC's chief residence. Located on Gates Avenue under a mile from Pratt's campus, according to PACC's website, Gibb contains "housing developed for low-income community residents with chronic illness and/or in need of mental health support."

Like Houghton, teammate Diana Lezama enjoyed her experience at PACC.

"I enjoyed the Gibb Mansion and especially seeing the amazing art room they had available for the residents," said the junior. "I would love to volunteer for them again and share my experience and passion for art."

Lezama and head coach Patricia Keenan's Cannoneers, according to PACC events and communications manager Michelle Etwaroo, might be welcomed to return.

Head coach Patricia Keenan presents PACC executive director Deborah Howard with a $200 donation on behalf of Pratt women's volleyball "[Coach Keenan] and her team came out to volunteer at the planting at Gibb. They knocked it out of the park and helped us plant 180 bulbs," said Etwaroo. "And at the end, we were presented with a check for $200."

In all, 13 members of Pratt's team and coaching staff volunteered. Said freshman Hannah Calderwood. "It was a good experience and inspirational team bonding. I'd definitely go back again."

With her team eager to continue working at Gibb and with PACC, coach Keenan noted the Mansion's role in the neighborhood shared by her alma mater and her student-athletes.

"The Mansion is a historic part of our neighborhood that now plays a critical role in Clinton Hill's vibrant community, and the team was honored to be able to give back to an institution that is so important to the neighborhood we share."

For more information about PACC, visit the organization's website here.