Students will clean yards, paint a mural, and pack miscarriage kits with local residents as the GOAL Program hosts the fifth annual Day of Service on Saturday, April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“The Day of Service is an incredible opportunity for the college and the wider Hillsdale community to unite in celebrating our community through serving the needs of our community members and beautifying our town,” said senior and GOAL Program Director Mary Ann Powers.
GOAL will partner with The Hillsdale County Community Foundation for the event.
“On the organizational side of things, we have partnered with HCCF before but never like this year,” GOAL Program Coordinator and junior Mark Den Hollander said. “This year HCCF is fully funding the entire costs of all of the Day of Service, which we’re really thankful for.”
In addition to HCCF’s financial support, Den Hollander said the nonprofit plans to bring in new people into the event who haven’t been involved in the past.
“Ultimately, they are helping this to be a community event and not just a Hillsdale College event,” he said.
Since the scope of the project is expanded with additional funding and volunteer support from HCCF, the Day of Service offers many service opportunities for students and community members.
“We have gathered about 30 different service projects to complete this year and we are hoping to recruit about 500 volunteers,” Powers said. “Projects will include spring cleaning and painting King’s Kupboard Food Pantry, performing yard work for local community members, cleaning up Mrs. Stock’s Park, painting a mural on the side of the Hillsdale Brewing Co., and packing miscarriage kits.”
According to Powers, the day will begin at 9 a.m. in the Searle Center for volunteers to check in with their service teams. Coffee, donuts, and T-shirts will be available and at 9:30 a.m. the volunteer teams will disperse to their project sites for three hours to complete their respective service projects. After the projects are completed, volunteers will return to Searle for lunch.
“At 12:30 p.m. everyone will return to Searle for a celebratory lunch with pizza and sandwiches catered from several local favorites including Handmade, Filling Station, Main Street Pizza, Hungry Howie’s and Cottage Inn,” Powers said.
The GOAL Program will be tabling in the union this week to advertise the event, and any student can sign up to participate.
“At the college we have the wonderful privilege and opportunity to spend our time reading, discussing, and contemplating the good life,” Powers said. “The Day of Service and the GOAL volunteering programs ground us and remind us of our calling to not just read about the good life but live it by loving and serving our fellow man.”
