50 Ways to Give, Give Back or Reconnect
While monetary gifts are a highly impactful way to address critical needs at the college, the reality is that your time, expertise, and connections can be just as valuable. HCC thrives on the strength of its alumni, whose participation enriches the experiences of HCC students. Whether you graduated last year or decades ago, there are many ways to make a meaningful impact and strengthen the institution that helped launch your success.
Here are 50 ways you can support your alma mater — without writing a check:
1 Keep reading this magazine.
When you’re done, pass it on, or place it in the waiting room in your office.
2 Write a letter to the editor.
Tell us what Connection stories you liked best, what memories they evoke, and who inspired you. Suggest a story idea or profile subject — how about you?
3 Submit an Alumni Note (formerly Class Note).
Share your personal and professional milestones at hcc.edu/alumninotes, and please include a photo!
4 Follow us on social media.
We’re on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
5 Volunteer to work with the Alumni Association.
Help plan, organize, and run alumni events and fundraisers.
6 Schedule a meeting
with President George Timmons. He loves to talk to our alumni.
7 Attend our annual fall Alumni Happy Hour
for free hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Save the date: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026 (tentative) hcc.edu/happyhour
8 Mentor a current HCC student or recent grad.
We’ll make the introduction!
9 Include “Holyoke Community College”
under Education on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
10 Work for us.
HCC counts at least 147 alumni as full-time employees. See what’s available under Job Opportunities on the HCC website.
11 Dig up old photos
of yourself and your friends from your days at HCC and share them with us. (We might publish them.)
12 Take new photos
that illustrate what you’re up to now and where you’ve been. (Share those too.)
13 Sign up for the HCC Alumni E-Newsletter
to get the most up-to-date information about HCC news and events, delivered monthly to your email inbox: hcc.edu/enews
14 Get fit.
Alumni can join the gym at the Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation for just $250 a year, or $10 per visit, with unlimited access to the fitness center, wellness rooms, saunas, and basketball courts.
15 Visit campus.
Stroll the grounds. Walk your dog. Take a tour. See what’s old. See what’s new. Send us a selfie or post it to social media and tag us @holyokecommunitycollege
16 Stay for lunch.
Eat in at the HCC Food Court or dine out at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute for a gourmet meal prepared by our culinary arts students during our spring luncheon series.
17 Play a round of disc golf.
HCC has an 18-hole championship-level course (designed by alum and retired professor Jay Ducharme ’78, above). See the scorecard: hcc.edu/discgolf
18 Buy a book.
HCC’s Education Department holds Scholastic Book Fairs every fall and spring.
19 Buy a bowl.
The Visual Art Department’s annual Empty Bowls benefit in December supports the college’s Thrive Center and Food Pantry. For $10, you get a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted bowl — filled with homemade soup!
20 Enjoy the city of Holyoke’s annual Fourth of July celebration
and fireworks display, hosted by HCC on O’Connell Field.
21 Help the Scholarship Resource Center
review student applications for HCC Foundation scholarships. (We’ll treat you to lunch!) Email: scholarships@hcc.edu
22 Take a hike.
The HCC Natural Refuge and Trail System follows old trolley lines behind the campus and connects to the New England Trail, which runs north to Vermont and south all the way to Long Island Sound.
23 Take a class.
Explore our catalog of noncredit personal enrichment and professional development programs, like cooking, painting, and estate planning. (Seniors — 60 or older — can take academic classes for just $50 per semester.)
24 Talk to a class.
Reconnect with your favorite professor and offer to be a guest speaker.
25 Teach a class.
HCC’s Business and Community Services division is always looking for engaging alumni to teach noncredit classes in their areas of expertise.
26 Host a job-shadowing day
at your workplace or create an internship for an HCC student or recent graduate.
27 Stick an HCC decal
to the back windshield of your car, or put one on your office door or the window of your business. Email alumni@hcc.edu to get one free!
28 Donate groceries
to the HCC Thrive Center and Food Pantry: hcc.edu/thrive
29 Adopt a beagle or bunny,
gently handled and lovingly cared for by students in our Veterinary and Animal Science program.
30 Book conference space.
The HCC Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development is the Pioneer Valley’s premier facility for conferences and professional meetings: hcc.edu/space.
31 Play pickleball.
The Bartley Center has seven indoor courts available to members or to the general public at a rate of $5 per session, paddles and balls included.
32 Recommend HCC
to a family member or friend.
33 Take part in the annual fall 24-Hour Phillips Theater Festival.
Actors, writers, directors wanted — no experience necessary
34 Honor those who made an impact on your life
by naming HCC as a beneficiary in your estate plan: hcc.giftlegacy.com
35 Vote for HCC.
Best of the Valley, Reader Raves, and Readers Choice Awards present opportunities for you to tell the world that HCC is the best college in western Massachusetts.
36 Participate in alumni panels, workshops, and group discussions
and share your expertise and experience with students.
37 See a show.
HCC’s award-winning Theater Department puts on two full-scale productions every year, one in the fall and one in the spring.
38 Attend a concert.
The HCC Music Department presents a series of free concerts each semester featuring HCC music students and faculty, in addition to the annual HCC Jazz Festival in March.
39 Watch a game.
We’ve got soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, golf, track and field, cross country, and eSports. Follow the athletics schedule at HCCcougars.com.
40 Join the president, other alumni and students
for Community College Night at Polar Park for our annual Worcester Red Sox outing. Go WooSox!
41 Wear your HCC swag.
Need a new T-shirt or hoodie? Stop by the HCC Bookstore or order online at hcc.ecampus.com
42 Listen to the college radio station,
WCCH, on 103.5 FM. Out of range? Stream it live through Radioline.
43 Promote HCC in your community and professional networks.
Encourage others to consider HCC for their education.
44 Visit the Taber Art Gallery
inside the HCC Library. Check the schedule of upcoming exhibits at hcc.edu/taber
45 Speak up.
If you’re ever interviewed by a news reporter for a story, tell them you graduated from HCC and how much HCC has impacted your life and career.
46 Volunteer
to help us out during September’s annual Welcome Back BBQ, May’s Spring Fling celebration, Earth Day cleanups, and other special events, such as Cap and Gown Pickup Day, and, most importantly, Commencement!
47 Advocate for HCC
during our annual, one-day “Together HCC: Drive to Change Lives” fundraising campaign. We’ll give you tools to help spread the word (#TogetherHCC) and help raise funds for the college. Save the date: March 4, 2026.
48 Write ‘Thank You’ cards
to our donors on Gratitude Day (the day after our annual giving day).
49 Join the Alumni Council.
See Servant Leader in this issue for details.
50 Stay connected.
Drop us an email or give us a call. Make sure we have your most current contact information, so we can keep in touch: hcc.edu/alumniupdate
Ready to get started with one (or more) of the above?
Contact the Alumni Relations office at alumni@hcc.edu, call us at 413.552.2576 or send a note to The Connection, c/o Alumni Relations, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke, MA 01040.
