Legacy of wellness: Desmond Center concludes successful grant-funded run

Photos by Lee Ferris

Five years. Six thousand three hundred lives impacted. Countless connections made.

The Desmond Center for Community Engagement and Wellness concluded its programming in December after a successful grant-funded run, and the Mount is taking a moment to look back on a half-decade of transformative community work.

Launched through a series of grants from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, the Desmond Center was designed to focus on local wellness. Having successfully executed the full scope of that grant-funded mission, the Center has created a blueprint for how higher education can serve the underserved, from the uninsured to the elderly.

“Leading this work has been one of the great honors of my career,” said Ashley Collazo, Acting Director of the Desmond Center. “I’m proud of the lives we touched, the partnerships we built, and the standard we set for what community engagement can look like.”

Since its inception, the center moved beyond the campus walls to establish a framework of care across Newburgh and Orange County. By partnering with agencies like Catholic Charities and the Orange County Office for the Aging, the center delivered health education and movement classes to thousands of residents. 

The seeds planted by the Desmond Center will continue to grow. The college remains deeply committed to the partnerships forged during this era, including ongoing work with the Newburgh Armory Unity Center and Habitat for Humanity.

Perhaps most notably, the Summer Institute for Nursing Exploration – a standout success from the Desmond Center era – will continue under the college’s leadership, ensuring that the pathway for future healthcare workers remains open.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who poured their energy and care into this work,” Collazo noted. “I look forward to seeing how the spirit of the Desmond Center will continue to flourish in the years ahead.”