PHOTOS: 1. PREPARING TO GO OUT TO WORK; 2. LANDSCAPING IN LATROBE; 3. AT THE LATROBE MUNICIPAL BUILDING; 4. INTERACTING WITH NURSING HOME RESIDENTS.
A Day Of Service
Hundreds of Saint Vincent College students went to work at community service projects throughout Westmoreland County prior to the start of the school year, as the fifth annual Service to the Community Day was held. The day reinforces to incoming students how Saint Vincent integrates service projects into the experiences of every student. Dozens of area non-profit and community organizations greeted groups of students, who painted, cleaned, repaired, and landscaped, among other tasks. Service Learning Director Kelly King said this project engages Saint Vincent College students with the community. “This demonstrates our Benedictine mission by giving students an opportunity to serve the region in a very personal way,” she said. Some of the 37 organizations the project involved were the American Red Cross, Christ the Divine Teacher School, City of Latrobe, Faith in Action, Greensburg Central Catholic High School, Keystone State Park, Latrobe Parks and Recreation, Latrobe Regional Health and Rehabilitation, Laurel Highlands, Lifeway Pregnancy Center, McKenna Senior Center, Ligonier Bethlen Cottages, Pennsylvania CleanWays, Saint Vincent Gristmill, and the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, among others. At the nature reserve, pictured on the cover, students worked in the garden and helped make “tree Cookies”, wooden building blocks that will become part of the nature exploration children’s areas. “The project is an opportunity for students to bond with each other as well as with other members of the Saint Vincent community including faculty, administration Saint Vincent Magazine
and staff members who participate,” King said. Through service projects, students find elements in the community that go beyond the classroom, some of which can help in career choices. In addition to first-year students, nearly 100 upperclassmen who serve on the Orientation Committee act as mentors to the incoming freshmen and volunteer alongside them. The Office of Service Learning and Community Outreach works with organizations in the area throughout the school year to plan service opportunities for students. 5
Fall 2012