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ImageRegularly during the recent holiday season, young swimmers from Lansing Community Aquatic Team (LCATs) assembled at Loaves and Fishes of Tompkins County to serve meals and provide companionship to local residents. Loaves and Fishes is celebrating its 25th year of serving meals and providing advocacy each day to approximately 125 working poor, unemployed, homeless, and other people in need.

The LCATs filled a gap at the North Cayuga Street location created by the departure of Cornell and Ithaca College volunteers for the holidays. According to Loaves and Fishes Volunteer Coordinator Maggie Whitehead, "When the college students leave for breaks and holidays we face a challenge finding volunteer servers. The LCATs kids appeared at our door at just right time."

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A total of 83 LCAT members ranging in ages from 5 to 18 years spent 250 hours serving meals and sharing conservation with Loaves and Fishes visitors during December and January. The swimmers and local residents utilizing Loaves and Fishes services quickly bonded. "There were many heart-warming encounters during meal time. I wish others in the community could have seen the smiles and expressions on the faces of both the people being served meals and especially some of our youngest team members," noted Connie Colbert, parent coordinator of the LCAT volunteer activities.

 

Swim clubs have been instrumental to the success of U.S. swimming. Olympic swimming teams, such as the 2008 team, largely grew out of the training that occurs in local swim club networks. These clubs often serve their communities through volunteer activities along with their primary missions of providing local youth athletic opportunities. The 90 - member LCATs coached by Reed Dewey and Bob Terry is one of the dominant swim clubs in the Niagara District which covers most of Upstate New York. Volunteering at Loaves and Fishes represents the first of several planned community service projects to be undertaken by the LCATs.

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