Eric Woods of Cinnaminson, NJ, Receives Robinson-Appel Humanitarian Award

ITHACA, NY (05/26/2011)(readMedia)-- Cornell University senior Eric Woods of Cinnaminson, NJ, a biology and society major in Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, and sophomore Christine Santiago, a human behavior health and society major in Cornell's College of Human Ecology, have received a Robinson-Appel Humanitarian Award for 2011.

The award was established by Cornell alumni Gerald Robinson '54 and Margot Robinson '55, and Robert Appel '53 and Helen Appel '55, in order to recognize and honor students who have had significant involvement in community service by providing support for their projects, which address a community's social needs or problems. Three community service projects are selected annually, and each proposal receives $1,500.

Woods and Santiago's project aims to increase the effectiveness and availability of music therapy as a holistic and complementary form of treatment for patients in hospice. Because one of the problems facing the music program at Ithaca Hospicare and Palliative Services of Tompkins County, New York, is a lack of trained volunteers, Woods and Santiago's project will train students interested in music therapy in effective techniques. They also plan to hold in-service sessions for Hospicare staff, workshops for musicians, and create an instructional video and pamphlet for future volunteers.

For the past year Woods has been the Sunday lunch volunteer at the Hospicare Residence in Ithaca, New York. His duties included preparing and serving lunches to six residents who are living with terminal illness. He also played music for patients.

"This can be challenging work and Eric has been a bright and generous presence here," wrote Saoirse McClory, Hospicare Director of Community Support, in an email. "We are sorry to see him leave but buoyed by the knowledge that he is going out in to the world to do great things."