SEARCH Homeless Services collaborated with the Office of Volunteer Services Saturday to provide freshmen with an opportunity to participate in the initial effort of the Semester of Service with University College.
Semester of Service is a program geared toward freshmen students to lead them into the habit of serving their community. Although 16 freshmen participated, the program is not exclusive to freshman.
Students donated non-perishable food items and clothing to the shelter to alleviate the shelter coordinators and permanent volunteers. They also participated in a variety of activities including cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, showers, toilets, and more.
After their service, the students were treated to pizza by the volunteer coordinator, whose alias is “Cowboy,” but their empathy for the homeless led them to donate the food to the homeless.
Alisha Lowe, volunteer service coordinator, said, “The overall impact of the project was allowing the students a chance to see how other people live. Many people aren’t homeless because they are lazy, but because of circumstances or their current situation. Sometimes their situation is too heavy to handle or to get out of. They realized how blessed they are and to count their blessings.”