17 Nov Fall Work Day at Huntington University

On October 21, Huntington University students plunged into the community for the annual Fall Work Day, a tradition since 1996. Volunteers divide into groups, usually by dormitory floors, and are assigned a location and project.

Fall Work Day has averaged about 425 volunteer hours a year. This year’s 222 volunteers, up from 186 in 2005, gave 777 hours of community service. One group went to Huntington’s Head Start to help with yard work–pulling weeds and raking leaves. Another group went to the YMCA to assist with organizing and cleaning rooms. Nichole Wolf (right), a freshman educational ministries major, took donations for the Boot Shake, a Red Cross fundraiser. Maggie McWilliams (left), a freshman elementary education major from Franklin, Ind., helped with cleaning at Good Shepherd UB church.

Community organizations and individuals who need help contact the college’s Joe Mertz Center. The JMC, a student-directed organization founded in 1992, has become an integral part of campus life. More than 70 percent of resident students are involved in some form of volunteer service, and more than 10,000 hours of labor are contributed by the campus community each year.