Helping the homeless in Chicago
FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, October 31, 2001
Huntington, Ind. "Once again, the Huntington College Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service is reaching out to those in need. Ten Huntington College students will venture out to Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 2-4, for the annual Urban Plunge, which provides students the opportunity to help the less fortunate in an urban setting. The team will travel to the Olive Branch Mission and participate in the Chicago Summit, a seminar where speakers will inform and challenge students about the issues of urban ministry.
Urban Plunge is a great opportunity for students to experience another side of life in the US. It takes us out of our comfort zone and exposes us to the struggles that many people face on a daily basis, said student leader, Jessica Salsberry, a senior psychology major from Sharpsville, Ind. It is also a chance to see God at work in many wonderful ways as we learn about urban ministries.
After the seminar, the HC team will be introduced to Pacific Garden Ministries, an organization that reaches out to the homeless. While there, they will take a tour of the facility and participate in a worship service.
Huntington College's Director of Community Relations, Jim Elliot, will also participate in the JMC weekend. Urban Plunge provides students exposure to opportunities that exist in urban ministry, and for some students, perhaps an urban cross-cultural experience they may not have had before.
Joining Elliot and Salsberry will be 2000 HC graduate Cory Whitehead, who lives in the Chicago area and works for Christianity Today, International. Students traveling from HC include Kara Sheridan from Greentown, Ind., Jami Lugbill from Pettisville, Ohio, Lauren Hines from Wauconda, Ill., Kyle Shoemaker from Westfield, Ind., Danielle Smith from London, Ohio, Rachelle Smith from London, Ohio, Linda Neely from Cochranton, Pa., Erin Steury from Fort Wayne, Ind., and Sharon Alderman from Middlesex, Vt.
Founded in 1992, the Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service has become an integral part of Huntington College campus life. During the 2000-01 school year, the Joe Mertz Center documented more than 18,000 hours of volunteer service contributed by students, faculty and staff.
The Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service is a student-directed organization that mobilizes the campus community for Christian service. The Joe Mertz Center aims to involve students in the local community, instill a lifelong tendency toward service, and promote the idea that one person can make a difference. The Joe Mertz Center has been listed as an exemplary program in the John Templeton Foundation Honor Roll of Character-Building Colleges.
Founded in 1897, Huntington College is a Christian college of the liberal arts, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees in nearly 50 academic concentrations. US News and World Report ranks the College among the best Midwestern liberal arts colleges. Huntington College has also been listed among the 201 Best colleges for the Real World. Urban Plunge is just one way Huntington College seeks to educate men and women to impact our world for Christ.
