Our Story
In the summer of 2011, SHCAB co-founder and president Jeff Reppucci traveled to Moscow as part of a six week intensive language program at the Russian State University of the Humanities. Through this immersion experience Jeff gained a rich understanding of both Russian culture and language. However, this unique opportunity also exposed Jeff to an area of life that was severely lacking...childhood. Even in the most decadent city of the country, Moscow, where the nations wealth is densely expressed, childhood felt overlooked. In the rural villages of Provincial Russia, the situation for children was striking. There were no playgrounds, basketball courts, public swimming pools, youth centers, boys and girls clubs, etc. The schoolyards that he visited were desolate and grey, often bordered by shattered vodka bottles and garbage. In other words, there were no places for children to entertain the simple recreational opportunities that kids here in the United States take for granted.
Upon his return to Massachusetts, Jeff began researching what childhood in rural Russia was really like. After extensive research and consultation with professors and friends from both the Russian State University and The College of the Holy Cross, Jeff's initial suspicions were confirmed. For the millions of Russian children born east of the major cities, recreational and educational development is seriously lacking. Childhood/teenage alcoholism runs rampant. This drastic void, coupled with Jeff's enthusiasm for the Russian culture and language, served as the primary catalysts for the creation of SHCAB. Jeff joined forces with his friend, roommate, and teammate on the Holy Cross hockey team, Derek Kump. Together, they worked in the late hours of the night after classes to create, design, and mobilize their project ideas. This ultimately led to the creation of a non-profit organization focused on wellness for children in need.
Today, SHCAB is proudly run by a group of motivated college students organizing and implementing community building projects around the globe. Russia, Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, South East Asia, and the USA are all where SHCAB resources have been deployed to help children and, in many of these regions, volunteers are passionately empowering youth and promoting healthier communities through recreation infrastructure and program development. With each culture that SHCAB volunteers explore, the organization becomes more humbled and inspired to extend our mission to children in every corner of the world.
Upon his return to Massachusetts, Jeff began researching what childhood in rural Russia was really like. After extensive research and consultation with professors and friends from both the Russian State University and The College of the Holy Cross, Jeff's initial suspicions were confirmed. For the millions of Russian children born east of the major cities, recreational and educational development is seriously lacking. Childhood/teenage alcoholism runs rampant. This drastic void, coupled with Jeff's enthusiasm for the Russian culture and language, served as the primary catalysts for the creation of SHCAB. Jeff joined forces with his friend, roommate, and teammate on the Holy Cross hockey team, Derek Kump. Together, they worked in the late hours of the night after classes to create, design, and mobilize their project ideas. This ultimately led to the creation of a non-profit organization focused on wellness for children in need.
Today, SHCAB is proudly run by a group of motivated college students organizing and implementing community building projects around the globe. Russia, Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, South East Asia, and the USA are all where SHCAB resources have been deployed to help children and, in many of these regions, volunteers are passionately empowering youth and promoting healthier communities through recreation infrastructure and program development. With each culture that SHCAB volunteers explore, the organization becomes more humbled and inspired to extend our mission to children in every corner of the world.
