Serving the Community
So one of the coolest things about Saint Leo is the commitment of everyone here – students, faculty, staff – to the university’s core values of Respect, Excellence, Community, Integrity, Responsible Stewardship and Personal Development. Twice a year, we honor the value of community with Community Service Day. Everyone is invited to participate by selecting a site on campus or outside in the community where they will volunteer for the afternoon.
Earlier this week, we had our spring Community Service Day, which coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The scheduling is a great idea as it allows an even greater number of students and faculty to participate since there are no classes that day. I ended up as a site leader, meaning I just had to recruit volunteers for my site and handle the official paperwork side of things. It was going to be a beautiful day, so I chose a site where I could work outdoors. We ended up at the Withlacoochee State Park, where the park rangers needed assistance with maintaining the beautiful boardwalk that winds through areas of the park. They water seal all of the wood each year, so that would be our task.
Our group working on the boardwalk
(Photo: Brandy Scaglione - Lions' Pride Online)
I ‘pre-recruited’ a few people and then manned (or should I say ‘womaned’?) the table at the sign-up fair. We ended up with a fun, eclectic bunch of students and staff, all of whom were looking forward to enjoying a nice day outside! After everyone went their own way for lunch, about 15 of us ended up heading over to the park where we donned our latex gloves, grabbed our paint brushes and buckets, and got to work sealing the boardwalk.
The weather was perfect – not too hot or cold (about 72), with a light breeze. Everyone seemed to have a great time. And because we were so terribly efficient, we even finished a little early! All in all, it was a great day. Back on campus late that afternoon, everyone was busy comparing notes from their various experiences. Some had worked at local food banks, some helped at a horse farm with rescued animals (I know – you’re wondering why I didn’t pick that one, right?), some volunteered at a local pregnancy care center. There were more than 30 different sites from which to choose, so pretty much everyone found something that ‘fit’ their particular interests.
The 'Withlacoochee Gang'!
(Photo: Brandy Scaglione - Lions' Pride Online)
I had a great time and got to know some SLU students a little bit better.