WWU Service Day

Students, faculty, and staff participate in community service projects throughout the Walla Walla Valley

Service Day at Walla Walla University is a campus wide event where students have the opportunity to spend the first half of their day helping out both organizations and residents by participating in various service projects throughout the local area.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, beginning at 8 a.m., WWU students, faculty, and staff gathered together outside of the Canaday Technology Center to receive their Service Day T-shirts and share a quick breakfast, followed by a short worship.

From 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., more than 400 students worked alongside faculty and staff members to complete about 38 different service projects.

Adrian Marston, assistant chaplain for discipleship, said, “Service Day aligns itself with the university’s core themes: excellence in thought, generosity in service, beauty in expression, and faith in God.” Marston went on to say, “Christ chose to make people’s lives better knowing that he wasn’t going to get anything in return, and emulating Christ’s example through Service Day is why this event is so important to our campus.”

Students, faculty, and staff worked on a wide range of different service projects, which included: trail maintenance at Fort Walla Walla trails, picking up trash at and around Garrison Creek, raking leaves and cleaning gravestones at Mt. Hope Cemetery, visiting the College Place Fire Department, helping care for the animals at the Blue Mountain Humane Society, and spending time with the residents at the Wheatland Village and Washington Odd Fellows Home, among many others.

Dave Thomas, professor of practical theology and apologetics, said that he has been going with the Theology Club to Mt. Hope Cemetery for 17 years on Service Day. Kelsey Turner, junior business and theology major, said that she has gone every year since she has been a student at WWU.

Bri Johnson, junior education major, spent her Service Day working at Fort Walla Walla raking up leaves and helping clear trails. She said, “I wanted to participate because I’m looking for ways to still be involved in service after getting back from my SM [student missionary] year.” Johnson taught elementary school last year as a student missionary in Palau.

Other students Carston Haffner, senior biology major, and Cecilia Romero, junior business major, were a part of the service group that helped the Audubon Society maintain the trails at Fort Walla Walla by spreading new wood chips out on the trails. “I have used these trails a few times and knew that I wanted to participate in Service Day in some faculty,” said Haffner. “So when I saw that these trails needed work on, I wanted to help give back and help maintain something that I personally have benefited from in the past.” Romero said, “I wanted to take part in Service Day to do something that wasn’t routine in my week.”

Service Day wrapped up around noon, and everyone who participated was invited to return back to campus to enjoy lunch together.

Posted Oct. 24, 2018
 

WWU students and faculty raking leaves at Mt. Hope Cemetery.
WWU students and faculty raking leaves at Mt. Hope Cemetery.
WWU students, faculty, and staff gather outside of the Canaday Technology Center for Service Day.