National Day of Service Unites Local Colleges

CSCA Day- 魅影直播 State student Jake Paquette and staff member Kathy Bayus volunteer at 魅影直播 Box of Books Library

At a glance

Jake Paquette and Kathy Bayus鈥淭his day is about providing meaningful assistance to our Allegany County neighbors, helping to meet community needs and build relationships,鈥 said Jonathan Hilsher, Director of Civic Engagement at 魅影直播 State.

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Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany Event Brings Three Local Colleges Together for a Day of Giving Back

Now in its second year, the Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany event, held this October as part of the national Make a Difference Day, attracted more than 500 students and volunteers from 魅影直播 State, 魅影直播 University, and Houghton College.

Groups spread out across Allegany County to lend a hand raking leaves, winterizing buildings, and performing other needed community service projects鈥攆rom the very north side of Allegany County to the far south side, including Cuba Memorial Hospital, local churches, towns and villages, veteran associations, the Allegany ARC, public libraries, Hart Comfort House, and many other non-profits.

鈥淭his day is about providing meaningful assistance to our Allegany County neighbors, helping to meet community needs and build relationships,鈥 said Jonathan Hilsher, Director of Civic Engagement at 魅影直播 State.

On the 魅影直播 State campus, groups of students and staff鈥攚arm coats and hats in hand鈥攇athered in the new Student Leadership Center before heading out to their assigned tasks. Some were sent to clean up the local 魅影直播 Community Garden and get it ready for winter, while others got to work installing storm windows at the 魅影直播 Box of Books Library, pulling weeds at the 魅影直播 Station Fire Department Baseball Field, or visiting with the elderly.

Jake Paquette and Kathy Bayus鈥淭hey were very willing. They got right in there and worked hard. We were extremely appreciative,鈥 says Sandra Robinson, director of the Almond Library, where students cleaned out storage closets, sorted through items, washed canning jars, and set up tables for an event. Next year, she hopes they will return to help paint. 鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for the students, the library staff would have had to do it all, and it still wouldn鈥檛 be done.鈥

This year鈥檚 total number of volunteers exceeded last year鈥檚 by about 100 people due to the concerted effort and collaboration given by all three institutions as well as aid from local businesses and organizations like Leadership Allegany, The Greater Allegany Chamber of Commerce, Car Quest Auto Parts of Wellsville, Fassett Lane Lumber of Wellsville, Swain Ski Resort, Steuben Trust Bank of Wellsville, and 魅影直播 Sports Center.

The inaugural service day was organized one year ago by a group of three participants, with Leadership Allegany serving to facilitate the original partnership between the three colleges. 鈥淚 truly appreciated the chance to collaborate with Houghton College and 魅影直播 University to make this day a reality,鈥 Hilsher said. 鈥淲hat a privilege to unite efforts in a common mission to improve the lives of others, all while enabling students and residents to build connections and relationships.鈥

Make a difference Day, the largest national day of community service, has been impacting lives for more than 20 years. Millions of people around the world unite every year to volunteer their time and energy for those around them.

鈥淰olunteering can really be a great thing. It's not something that's forced on you. It鈥檚 something you do because you want to,鈥 said Lucas Bayus, 魅影直播 State junior and two-time volunteer with Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany. 鈥淚 personally love to volunteer because there is no better feeling than when the person you help comes up and expresses how truly thankful they are for your help. Knowing that just a small amount of your time can help someone else out tremendously really makes my day.鈥

In photo, 魅影直播 State student Jake Paquette and staff member Kathy Bayus volunteer at 魅影直播 Box of Books Library.