Decades ago, Molloy’s Campus Services department began hosting a volunteer program with individuals who have special needs. At that time, the program included only recent high school graduates and was limited to about four volunteers. But through recent partnerships with Molloy’s MOST Program, the Viscardi Center, and the Nicholas Center, that program has significantly grown.
Molloy’s MOST (Molloy Opportunity for Successful Transition) Program is a non-degree bearing program that provides young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities with enriching academic, social-emotional, and community-based experiences designed to support their transition into an empowered and meaningful adult life. In addition to fostering independence, self-advocacy, and confidence, the program emphasizes real-world skill development, community engagement, and vocational exploration, helping students build the tools they need for greater autonomy and purposeful participation in their communities.
MOST was included as a part of the volunteer program in 2022 to help these students gain life experience through a job and to apply the skills they are developing in the classroom within a supportive, real-world environment.
Director of Campus Services, Sabrina Persaud, oversees the program and said, “Our volunteers work with us delivering the departmental mail across campus, stuffing envelopes, sorting staff and department mail, helping students who have mailroom or Spirit Store related inquiries, tagging Spirit Store items, organizing the Spirit Store inventory, and much more.”
“In recent weeks, we have been trying out volunteers within the food service. They have been restocking packaged items, packing mobile orders, keeping the work areas tidy, and helping customers with orders. We are looking to expand the range of tasks they can help with and have been slowly assessing the level of involvement and adding new work items accordingly.”
In addition, just this past year, Ms. Persaud was able to initiate partnerships with both the Viscardi Center and the Nicholas Center. Part of the Viscardi Center’s mission is to empower students with disabilities, and, to that end, they partner with various districts across Long Island. Through their partnership with Campus Services, they send at least one high school group a day to Molloy. These students are current high school students with special needs and are accompanied by job coaches.
The Nicholas Center supports adults with autism to learn critical life skills, improve social and communication abilities, gain meaningful vocational training, and engage in meaningful community projects.
Campus Services hosts two volunteers once a week with the Nicholas Center and about 20 volunteers weekly with the Viscardi Center. Additionally, Campus Services continues to host four MOST volunteers and hopes to continue offering more opportunities as the program keeps growing.
Molloy’s Vice President, CFO & Treasurer, Brian McNeill, feels that an important element of Molloy’s culture is the very supportive environment that embraces people from all walks of life. “I am proud of the opportunities that the Campus Services team provides to create pathways for individuals of all abilities to develop practical skills and work experience. We develop ‘win-win’ situations where we partner with students and adults with disabilities to provide supportive, skill-building work experiences. This has a huge positive impact on Molloy, our volunteers, and their families. This is central to the Dominican Mission!”
One of the volunteers who has experienced that positive impact is Michael, a former member of the Abilities Transition Program at the Viscardi Center, who has been volunteering at Molloy for 17 years. Dee, his volunteer job coach, had this to say about Michael’s experience:
“Michael has been a volunteer in the Molloy mailroom for 17 years. He looks forward to coming to Molloy and connecting with his coworkers and friends. He takes pride in his job and feels accomplished. Michael truly loves being a volunteer. He has met so many wonderful, supportive people at Molloy. He loves to help people and loves being a part of the Molloy community. He feels valued, important, and has a sense of purpose.
“For me, as a community habilitation worker who takes Michael to his volunteer job, I feel that Molloy has created a great space for the participants to flourish. Michael and the other participants have a safe and welcoming environment to do fulfilling work and socialize with their friends. I have worked with Michael for four years, and I see the positive impact Molloy and his volunteer job have had on him. I am so proud of him, of all his accomplishments, and of how much he has grown.”
Michael is joined on campus by Connor, a former MOST Program participant who continues to work in the mailroom, and Alex, who, like Michael, was part of the Viscardi Center’s Abilities program and remains actively involved on campus.
John Riviere Vejas, a job coach from the Abilities Program at Freeport High School, values the work program at Molloy because he feels it is extremely beneficial for students. He explained, “It gives them a sense of independence while showing them real-life examples (as they see college students on campus) of how working hard can pay off.”
Bishop Moore, a student from the Abilities Program at Southside High School, said, “Working at Molloy campus gives me real experiences, and I feel like a baby bird leaving his nest!”
According to Barry Tussman, Vice President of Youth Transition Services at the Viscardi Center, “Our special needs students in our Abilities Transition Program have benefited tremendously from the work-based learning internship provided in partnership with Molloy University. This opportunity has allowed our students to gain real-world experience in a supportive and inclusive environment while developing the foundational skills needed for future independence. Through their volunteer internship placement, students have learned essential workplace expectations and task completion. These experiences have helped them build confidence, strengthen their social skills, and understand what is required to be successful in a professional setting.
“What we have especially appreciated about the program is the respect, patience, and encouragement shown by Ms. Persaud and her staff, who have provided several of our school districts opportunities to participate. Our students are made to feel valued, capable, and included. It has opened their eyes to new possibilities, given them structure, and helped them develop habits that will support them in future vocational placements. The partnership with Molloy University has strengthened our program and has had a positive and lasting impact on every student who has participated. We are deeply grateful for this collaboration and look forward to continuing to build opportunities for our students.”
Expressing her deep love for the program, Ms. Persaud shared, “Witnessing our volunteers grow, build independence, and reach milestones they once found challenging is the most rewarding aspect of my role at Molloy. While I oversee many departments, this program holds a special place for me. I have seen volunteers progress to engaging in full conversations, making jokes, and forming genuine connections—an outcome that speaks to the program’s profound impact.
“Looking ahead, I hope to continue expanding this program across additional departments, creating more opportunities for participation, skill-building, and inclusion as we further grow the program’s reach throughout the Molloy community.”