A contingent of about 15 graduates from Bentley University located in Boston, Massachusetts said their goodbyes to the owners of a local senior citizens home and daycare center yesterday.

Despite the recent bombings that have impacted their city, the group are graduating this coming Friday still made the decision to come to New Providence to lend a helping hand.

Pat’s Senior Citizen Nursing Home and Day Care Center located on Soldier Road has been in existence for about three years now and has been a best kept secret in terms of elderly aid.

Trip advisors Nina Diagrela and Tony Martin said this is their first year working with the elderly but they have been coming to New Providence for the past 15 years working mainly with children.

“We just felt that we should now give back to those that have been here for such a long time and give back to the older generations,” Ms. Diagrela said.

Each year the universities’ graduation class plans a commencement community service trip and for the past 10 years they have been coming to The Bahamas.

Patricia Moxey, the owner of the establishment, says the experience of having the volunteers at her centre was indescribable and even more so due to the harsh economic times.

She was tremendously pleased and even prepared some down home conch fritters for her guest.

Inspector Kirk Douglas was also present; he is in charge of the Urban Renewal division for Nassau Village who partnered with the project. Douglas says, “Urban Renewal is here and we’re working together for a better Bahamas.”

The students and coordinators said they had an amazing experience working with the Mrs.Moxey and others who work at Pat’s, painting and cleaning up among many other activities.