Huntington’s Spring Work Day focuses on community
FOR RELEASE: Sunday, April 15, 2007
Huntington, Ind.-Huntington University's Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service, along with students, faculty and staff reached out to the Huntington community on April 14. JMC's annual Spring Work Day lasted all morning from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Amie Arthur, public relations coordinator for the Joe Mertz Center, headed up the event.
Along with the 109 students, five faculty and staff also gave their time and participated in Spring Work Day. The volunteers went to worksites all over the Huntington community.
"It's a way for the campus to show the community that we care about them, and it's way to get the faculty and students involved in a service project to help out the community and show them that we do care about them," said Arthur.
"I think that any opportunity we have to help out the community we live in is good. If we are living here in this town, we might as well get to know people and help out if we can," sophomore Alexandra Meriwether from Paulding, Ohio, said. "It's a great way to serve and help people out."
Faculty and staff members who participated included Dr. Mary Ruthi, professor of sociology; Jack Heller, assistant professor of English; Twyla Lee, assistant professor of social work; Scott Hippensteel, instructor in music; Bill Bordeaux, professor of chemistry; and Crystal Hippensteel, director of the Joe Mertz Center.
The JMC is a student-directed organization that was founded in 1992. Since then it has become an integral part of Huntington University 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.
Spring Work Day sites and projects included
Habitat for Humanity - Roush Hall, second floor residents
-worked on Park Street by doing landscaping, renovation, and roof work
Dan Quayle Museum - Baker Hall, first floor residents
-moving display cases
Salamonie Reservoir - Meadows Hall third floor residents and Dr. Bill Bourdeaux
-litter cleanup around campgrounds
American Red Cross - Commuters
-cleaning out storage closet
Good Shepherd Church - Baker and Miller halls third floor residents
-cleaning out garage and outside work
Crystal Hippensteel's House - JMC staff
-planting 200 trees
Boys and Girls Club - half of the JMC staff (Amie Arthur, Megan Condry, and Nicole Callaway)
-Cleaning the bathrooms and windows
Parks and Recreation Department, Evergreen Park - Roush Hall third floor residents
-tree trimming and planting, sprucing up the flower beds, mulching, and painting.
Huntington Library - Tae Soo Kim, John Tan, and Chris Metcalf
-shipping books
(left to right) Katie Dinkens, Laura Wright and Katie Miller assist with litter pickup at Salamonie Reservoir.
Love, INC- Hardy Hall basement residents
-clean out garage and set it out for city wide clean-up
Little Blessings Childcare Ministries - Hardy Hall second and third floor residents
-raking, mulching, and painting
Horace Mann Schools - Meadows Hall first floor residents
-landscaping
Victory Noll- Roush first floor residents, Drs. Jack Heller and Mary Ruthi
-yard work and visiting with the nuns
Huntington Headstart- Meadows and Baker halls second floor residents
-outside work and painting
Forester Village- Hardy first floor residents
-campus cleanup around Lake Snow-Tip and Forester Village
