On a sunny spring day with temps in the 70s, Central College cancelled classes. Instead of playing gennis (a combination of golf and tennis) on the grass or suntanning near the Pond, students volunteered their free day to participate in one of 80 service projects in 13 zip codes around central Iowa.
The annual Service Day, this year on April 24, brings together students, faculty and staff in pursuit of the common good. In conjunction with community partners around the state, volunteers cleaned up trash, went fishing with middle school students, planted gardens, painted and dusted nonprofit facilities and spent time with the elderly and disabled.
Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge – Prairie City
The picture Central students had in their heads as they hauled away burnt logs and sticks was a map of 1850s Iowa, which showed the land used to be treeless tall-grass prairie. Their goal on Service Day was to help restore a section of that prairie by removing invasive trees and shrubs like sumac, dogwood and elderberry.
“Our charge is to restore the land back to pre-European influence,” said Rick Hager of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their main tools in this pursuit are mowing and burning. Because the refuge doesn’t have a large staff, it must rely on volunteers to help clear away the larger burnt pieces that can’t be mowed. “Conservation sounds neat, but it really is hard manual labor,” added Hager.
Amy Young, assistant professor of German, was team leader for the group of students. She teaches Germany and the Environment, and sustainability is a cause close to her heart. She had always wanted to volunteer at Neal Smith and found Service Day was a great way to get started.
Young’s passion inspired one of her students, Chloe Gearhart, a sophomore political science major, to choose Neal Smith from the list of Service Day projects.
Nikole Moeller, a sophomore elementary education major, was also glad she chose Neal Smith. She didn’t know any of the other students, so it was a good chance to make new friends. “I love helping out in any way I can.”
Centre for Arts and Artists – Newton
Walter Cannon’s students have been coming to Newton to do service-learning for years. So when the professor of English won a $1,000 award from Campus Compact for integrating community engagement in his courses, he knew just what to do with the funding.
Walter donated his award money to the Centre for Arts and Artists, and they decided to put it toward building a pergola, or arbor, outside to welcome visitors. On Service Day, faculty and students from Central dug holes and poured concrete for the footings.
The Centre for Arts and Artists provides an environment for the creation and display of art and aims to establish a new and diverse culture, including economic opportunity, for the community.
“Communities need the arts,” said Cannon. “They need the kind of restorative energy that comes from the arts, especially Newton, which has been devastated by job loss. When that happens, it’s more important than ever to keep all parts of our humanity alive.”
A Call To Serve (ACTS) – Pella
The final product of the work Central volunteers completed at ACTS will be more vegetables in the hands of those who need them. Students built a retaining wall for the Pella Public Garden, which will generate produce for the Seeds for Needs program.
ACTS provides short-term, local projects that match volunteers with those who need assistance. Eventually, the Seeds for Needs program will distribute personal vegetable gardens in containers to those who can’t afford expensive produce at the grocery store. Vegetables from the public garden will also be given to the Pella Community Food Shelf.
Senior biology major Melanie Louis chose the ACTS project because she is interested in gardening and organic foods. Team leader Maria Rohach, coordinator of institutional relations for Central College Abroad, wanted to get outside and enjoy the nice weather.
“It sounded like a project that would help the community long-term,” said Rohach. “I love fresh produce, and I think it should be available for everyone.”
A Shot at Life – H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse
The Dutch women’s basketball team—along with middle school students from Des Moines—helped give kids in developing countries a shot at life by taking a few shots on the basketball court.
In conjunction with the United Nations Association, Central brought dozens of middle school students to campus for a tour and a free throw contest. The group also watched a video about the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign, which provides life-saving vaccines for children worldwide.
Team leader Sam Mate-Kodjo, associate professor of Spanish, has been involved with the United Nations Foundation since high school. Mate-Kodjo explained why he chose to lead the project: “Service Day plus the United Nations plus Central College? Sign me up!”
Before the free throw tournament, the basketball team taught the Des Moines students stretches and warm-up exercises. Then coach Mike Jacobsma called everyone into a huddle for a reminder about why they were there—to help those in need. “We are very fortunate to live where we live,” he said.
Watch a video about the Shot@Life campaign.
Children and Family Urban Ministries (CFUM) – Des Moines
In Trinity United Methodist Church in Des Moines, young children paired with Central College students lined the pews of the balcony, all with their noses deep in picture books.
CFUM, which has its headquarters in the church, hosts a variety of programs for children and families on Des Moines’s north side—supporting educational success, healthy living and community engagement. During the after-school program on Service Day, Central students quickly made friends with the elementary school students as they read together.
Eric Jones, interim dean of students, has been the team leader at CFUM several times. He started bringing students to do service-learning at CFUM 15 years ago, before the annual Service Day began.
First-year Conner Currin has been volunteering for after-school programs since high school. Before she came to read with a student on Service Day, she visited the kids of CFUM as part of a Student SupportServices (SSS) service trip with Jones.
“I hope the Central students who come here learn what service is all about,” said Jones.
