The Executive Council of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSLHA) recently awarded the Marywood NSSLHA Chapter a $250.00 Community Service Grant to help purchase equipment for St. Joseph’s Center.

St. Joseph’s Center is an independent Catholic agency sponsored by the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Center strives to provide individuals and families who have special needs the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential to the fullest extent possible through residential, community and home-based services, outpatient therapy, maternity, family and adoption services, according tostjosephscenter.org.

“We asked Saint Joseph’s Center prior to applying for the grant if they had a “wish list” of therapeutic things they were in need of,” said Andrea Novak, clinical faculty member, department chairperson and graduate program director of the Communication Sciences and Disorders department.

According to Laura Drake, current CSD first year graduate student and last years NSSLHA president, the chapter purchased therapy materials and adaptive toys that will be used for speech-language therapy, which will help residents to improve communication skills.

Marywood’s NSSLHA chapter matched the grant with a donation of $250.

“We agreed to donate $250 worth of materials, regardless of whether or not the grant was approved, which was money we raised from hosting a fundraiser last spring,” said Nicole Tucker, junior CSD major.

A presentation of the items took place at St. Joseph’s Center on Dec. 3, 2014. Club officers who were instrumental in applying for the grant from both the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic school year attended the presentation.

“I was happy because the students put a lot of hard work into pulling together the information to apply for the grant and also because it benefited Saint Joseph’s Center, and they certainly deserve the things we were able to purchase,” concluded Novak.

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