Using trash bags as rain slickers, a small group of Franklin College students spent Saturday morning landscaping at Creekside Elementary School.
About 350 people took part in Franklin Offering the Community Unselfish Service Day, where students and staff donated their time to 18 local organizations.
“As a new student, you just kind of want to know your community. It gets you off campus and shows you areas of service you can do in that community, and later you (might) become part of that community,” said Ashley Cross, one of the event’s supervisors and a kindergarten teacher at Creekside.
“The kids today showed up in the rain with smiles on their faces and got right to work.”
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryStudents donated time at local retirement communities, youth organizations and health agencies.
Freshman Lauren Schuld moved boxes at the Humane Society of Johnson County, while junior James Hone shoveled scoops of mulch in the rain.
Matthew Stone, a freshman from Plainfield, was part of the group of Franklin College students who spent time at Homeview Health and Rehabilitation Center of Franklin. Among his responsibilities was calling out numbers for residents in games of Bingo.
“It’s been a fun opportunity to come out here and spend some time and kind of live how they do and have some fun,” Stone said. “I’ve done a lot of volunteer work in my own community, but nothing like this. It introduces me to Franklin and gets me used to the community.”
Schuld, a Terre Haute native who like Stone has only been on campus a short time, viewed the event as a way to meet new people while doing something good for the community.
“I have had experience doing certain volunteer projects from the clubs at home, but this is fun doing it with new people and learning how other people work,” Schuld said.
“The community gives so much to Franklin College, so we’re able to give back to them.”
Saturday marked the fourth consecutive year George Phillips, an English professor at Franklin College, has taken part in the event. He served as supervisor for the group of students volunteering at the Humane Society.
Originally scheduled to do landscaping, the group moved their efforts indoors due to stormy weather.
“The big picture is to reorganize and clean up the barn. We’ve done everything from cleaning up cat traps to moving a slab that was from the original building,” Phillips said.
“Everybody’s got a job and a role, and that’s what makes this work. The reason I like it is it’s great outreach for the community and bridges the gap between the college and the town in a way that’s kind of natural.”
Hone, a member of the Franklin College men’s swim program, is from Melbourne, Australia. In his third consecutive year of taking part in the day dedicated to helping the Franklin community, he worked on landscaping at Creekside.
“Franklin is a very community-based environment, especially at the college. It’s good to give back to the community. They do a lot for us, and we do a lot for them,” Hone said.
“It’s always good to help out, rain or shine.”
