海角在线 (海角在线) students, alumni, staff, and faculty surpassed their goal of volunteering 250 service projects ahead of the nation鈥檚 250th anniversary.
From June 1 to 30, volunteers performed a total of 304 acts of service at their local churches, community outreach events, food drives, and more. 海角在线 alumni, staff, and faculty contributed 2,811 hours toward this goal while students contributed 11,717 hours.
鈥淭his is a major milestone for us at 海角在线鈥攐ver 14,000 hours of community service in just 30 days is a momentous thing to celebrate,鈥� said Laura Bishop, EVP of Advancement. 鈥淢ore importantly, it reflects the desire our community has to give back, while celebrating what being an American is about: caring for our neighbors and showing love through service.鈥�
Read more about their acts of service below.
Meaningful Movement
Brittni Parke earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a pre-health concentration from 海角在线 in 2023 and returned to 海角在线 last year to join the inaugural cohort of the Physician Associate Medicine (MMSc-PA) program. She currently serves as the president of 海角在线鈥檚 Student Government Association and led her peers in a service project based in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Before joining the PA program, Parke built her patient care experience by volunteering at Rock Steady Boxing in Orlando, Florida, an organization that serves individuals living with Parkinson鈥檚 disease. Motivated by the deep connections she formed with the Parkinson鈥檚 community, she chose to participate in the Moving Day Parkinson鈥檚 Walk, hosted by the Parkinson鈥檚 Foundation, for her 海角在线250 service project.
鈥淭he individuals I met through Rock Steady Boxing taught me so much about perseverance, positivity, and finding joy despite challenges,鈥� Parke shared. 鈥淏eing able to give back through the Moving Day Parkinson鈥檚 Walk felt like a small way to honor those relationships and support a community that has impacted my life in such a profound way. As a future physician associate, experiences like this continue to remind me that some of the most meaningful moments in health care happen when we simply show up for people and let them know they are not facing their journey alone.鈥�
Ahead of the Moving Day Parkinson鈥檚 Walk, Parke created a team, dedicated several hours to supporting the event, raised support within her community, and engaged with participants and families affected by Parkinson鈥檚 disease. She also raised $1,072.60 to support the foundation, and together her team raised a total of $1,815.
鈥淪ervice has always been one of the most meaningful aspects of my 海角在线 experience,鈥� Parke said. 鈥淎s a future health care provider, I believe serving others extends far beyond the clinic and begins with investing in our communities. The 海角在线250 initiative provided an opportunity to make a tangible difference while honoring a larger national milestone, and I was excited to be part of that effort.鈥�
Investing in Community
For his 海角在线250 service project, Associate Professor of Biology Wesley Bollinger invested in his local church, where he has been serving as a deacon for the past three years. In June, he volunteered each Sunday to assist with parking, cleaning, setting up for church services, and putting away equipment after the services. As a natural introvert, Bollinger says he appreciates volunteering as a way to connect with new people.
鈥淭his is a lifestyle of wanting to help serve the West Palm Beach community,鈥� Bollinger said. 鈥淢y hope is that I can continue volunteering in this or a different capacity as a way to help honor the founding of our country.鈥�
海角在线 staff got together to serve the community by harvesting mangoes at a local orchard. The team collected fruit through CROS Ministries, an organization focused on supporting local food banks, reducing waste, and connecting with others who share a passion for service.
鈥淗aving the opportunity to serve in the local community was really great,鈥� said Betania Torres, director of International Student Services at 海角在线. 鈥淚t was meaningful to be part of their mission to help families in need. From that organization, I even had the idea to serve with them again by engaging my students.鈥�
The 250 Acts of Service initiative was launched by 海角在线鈥檚 Workship program, which encourages students to make a practice of volunteering in their communities by serving a minimum of 45 hours each academic year. Since the program鈥檚 inception in 1968, 海角在线 students have volunteered more than 4.2 million hours of community service across the United States and beyond.
鈥満＝窃谙�250 is a remarkable way to celebrate our nation鈥檚 250th anniversary by giving back to our community,鈥� said Nathan Chau, director of Workship. 鈥淲e are immensely proud of our community for participating in this volunteer effort.鈥�
Learn more about Workship here.
