Central College will hold its annual Service Day on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Service Day demonstrates Central’s commitment to empowering its students, staff and faculty to be engaged in their communities. It integrates learning through service and provides opportunities for the entire campus to connect, support and invest in their local, national and international communities.
On Service Day students, staff and faculty go to area communities and serve with local organizations for half-day service projects. Service Day is organized by Tori Fyfe, assistant director of Central’s community-based learning and a Class of 2020 graduate. She has been securing volunteer projects with partners since the beginning of August.
“Each year Central has the privilege of partnering with 40-plus local community organizations and nonprofits for our annual Service Day,” Fyfe says. “Our partners are doing remarkable and impactful work. Central is honored to support them in their efforts.”
Service Day is an alternative education day when some faculty turn the class experience into a service project. A few of the many projects this year include:
- Blank Park Zoo, Night Eyes event set up, Des Moines.
- City of Des Moines Rose Garden Restoration, Des Moines
- Community Youth Concepts – Stowe Heights Challenge Course Clean up, Des Moines
- Iowa Homeless Youth Center, organizing donation area, Des Moines.
- Lutheran Services of Iowa, Global Greens Farm clean up, Des Moines.
- Howell Station Recreation Area, pruning tree suckers and weeding playscape, Lake Red Rock.
- Centre for Arts & Artists, outdoor maintenance and clean up, Newton.
- Comfort House garden clean up, Pella.
- The Work of Our Hands, basement clean up, Pella.
- Hickory Glenn Park, tree planting and tree fencing, Pleasant Hills.
- Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, seed collection, Prairie City.
Central has held an annual Service Day since 2006. In the past seven years, Central Service Day has offered volunteer services to an average of 55 projects and donated an average of 1,817 hours each year.
In 2022, the national value placed on volunteer time is $29.95. On average, Central’s Service Day generates $54,419 of value in one day for area nonprofits and service organizations.