Approximately 1,200 Saint Louis University students, faculty and staff will serve the St. Louis community this Saturday, Oct. 23, by participating in SLU Make A Difference Day.
SLU participants will join one million others throughout the nation in serving their community on National Make A Difference Day.
The number of participants in SLU Make A Difference Day has tripled since last year, and the day is expected to run smoothly. Bernie Schaefer, program director of the Community Outreach Center, hopes that this year’s event will provide participants with a memorable experience and an awareness of the service opportunities available to them.
“SLU Make A Difference Day is a chance for students, faculty and staff to reflect upon what it means to be a part of a Jesuit university within the community. The event also gives individuals a chance to begin thinking about what more can be done to improve the St. Louis community,” Schaefer said.
Participants will gather Saturday on the soccer field of the Billiken Sports Center. Two SLU alumni will speak to the participants, and then the groups will disperse to their assignments. At 3 p.m., volunteers will regroup and enjoy a barbecue after the service projects have been completed.
Volunteers in SLU Make A Difference Day have been assigned to various agencies serving children, the elderly, the mentally and physically handicapped, the homeless and those with medical illnesses.
About 50 agencies in St. Louis will be benefiting from this day of service. Some of these agencies include St. Vincent’s Home for Children, the Badenfest Community, Forest Park Forever and the Salvation Army Harbor Lights Center.
Many students signed up for SLU Make A Difference Day as a member of a student group or organization. Some of the groups with the largest number of participants include Sigma Chi and Phi Kappa Tau fraternities, Gamma Phi Beta sorority, the Business School Administration’s Service Leadership class, student athletes and several residence hall floors.
The third floor of Marguerite Hall is one of these groups. With 15 students signed up to work for Habitat for Humanity, the floor can expect to grow closer on Saturday through their service experience.
“This will be a challenging assignment, but I expect that we will learn a lot, have some fun, and help people at the same time,” said Brian Hess, CDA of Marguerite’s third floor.
In conjunction with SLU Make A Difference Day, motivational speaker Ron Freeman will speak Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the BMC. Freeman will speak on “The Power of One,” addressing how an individual can make a difference within his or her community.
In order to get involved in other ways, students, faculty and staff can stop by the Community Outreach Center, located in the BMC, room 310. They can also call 977-3881 to learn about service opportunities the center provides. In addition to placing individuals with agencies, the center can also help large groups set up service opportunities for organizations.
Campus ministry and the Service Leadership program in the business school also function as resources for those who want to get involved in the St. Louis community.
“The advantage of attending SLU is its proximity to agencies in the city who need assistance; there is no shortage of need,” Schaefer said.
