On November 11, fraternity members from Pi Lambda Phi and Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) students gathered at Sanger College behind Tabler Quad and loaded 47 unclaimed bicycles onto a truck rented by the charity organization Pedals for Progress, which repairs and transports bikes overseas to individuals who might have a use for them.

The initiative simultaneously gives a boost to people in developing countries and helps clear the campus of derelict bikes.

The constant flow of bicycles provides a stream of giving opportunities for fraternity Pi Lambda Phi.

Beginning in 2014, the University Police Department (UPD) and Residential Risk Management (RRM) began to notice an increase in the number of abandoned bicycles at Stony Brook, which gave birth to the Bike Registration Program.

Bikes that are tagged as abandoned are picked up, fixed and prepared for shipment.

“My fraternity was looking to donate our resources to philanthropies that could help the local community and the world as a whole at the beginning of the semester,” says Pi Lambda Phi President  Michael Tang. “Our 40 brothers got right on board and we began to develop fundraising ideas to donate our pledged amount of  $15 per bicycle.”

“Each bike donated goes to a person in need,” says Kathleen Valerio, Peer Education Program Coordinator and advisor to SHAC and Pi Lambda Phi. “In Ghana, for example, peoples’ lives are transformed. Not only can they now get to jobs, the bikes help them get jobs.”

Learn more about Pedals for Progress: http://www.stonybrook.edu/happenings/featuredpost/students-help-supply-bikes-to-developing-countries/

When kids are ill, or have a parent or sibling who is, a summer camp experience may be wishful thinking.

But for youngsters both inside and outside of our area who are either dealing with their own illnesses, or illness in their families, wishes can come true, thanks to many volunteers — including our doctors, nurses and local residents — who help staff a range of special camps every year. Here are some examples.

For children dealing with an illness, summer camp can bring hope and happiness. Some also supply medical education and support in a fun and friendly environment.

For teenagers with Multiple Sclerosis, there’s the Teen Adventure Program, the only camp of its kind in the United States, which offers campers wellness activities such as kayaking, yoga, a high ropes course, meditation, sailing and much more.

Children, ages 5 to 11 with diabetes, can attend the Robert K. Sweeney Summer Fun Days Camp, which gives them opportunities to develop new friendships, learn about diabetes and participate in fun activities.

For children with cancer and their siblings, Kids Need MoRE, (Motivational Recovery Environments, Inc.) offers Camp Adventure, a free, one-week-long sleep-away program.

A day camp option is Sunrise Camp, also for kids with cancer and their siblings. And for children, ages 6 to 16, who have a parent with cancer, Camp Kesem at Stony Brook University, supports them with a week-long summer camp experience and year-long peer support.

Learn more about Stony Brook Children’s Hospital: https://www.stonybrookchildrens.org/

On April 27 Reach Out and Reconnect (ROAR) student committee unveiled their poster campaign to raise awareness about mental health issues with the message: “You’re not alone.”

The ROAR committee was created by a group of students from Tabler Quad after their friend’s tragic passing. Since Spring 2015, the committee — formed by Antonio Xu Liu ’17, Steven Morel ’16, Cayla Leung ’16, Erynn McLeod ’17 and Derrick Wegner ’18 — has been working diligently to bring the campus community a long-lasting project to help break the stigma behind mental health.

ROAR committee wants to break the stigma of mental health issues.

With advice and collaboration from Julian Pessier, Interim Director of Counseling and Psychological Services and University Communications, and support from the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), the ROAR committee created a series of eight posters featuring different student leaders in situations that many students may experience during their time in college without realizing that there is help available.

The messages in the posters are poignant and real, bringing attention to important issues such as depression, anxiety, financial struggle and domestic violence.

Learn more about Counseling and Psychological Services:http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/caps/index.html