Many Students Serve Lacombe

More than 200 faculty, staff and students spent Wednesday afternoon, September 19, doing community service in the City of Lacombe.  Our 5th Annual Serve Lacombe day was organized this year by Sharon Baragona, a 4th-year General Studies major from Edmonton.

Participants could choose from a wide variety of projects ranging from playing chamber music in the hospital's cafeteria to sorting donations at a local charity thrift store to sprucing up Michener Park.  "We had 21 CUC volunteers painting bleachers in Michener Park," said Norma MacQuarrie, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Lacombe.  "Although we supplied them with two different colours of paint, they managed to make it look very harmonious."  MacQuarrie added that she hoped it wouldn't take too long to get the bright yellow paint blotches removed from their skin, clothes and shoes!

Bill Nielsen, who established and maintains Lacombe's wonderful system of hiking trails was very grateful for students who helped him clear brush and spread wood chips.  "I get a great group of students every year, but I must say this year's group was the best I've ever had," said Nielsen. 
Service Day is just one of many opportunities faculty, staff and students have to help others.  Ongoing community outreach projects include helping at the soup kitchen, prison ministries, sunshine bands, supporting Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and numerous other options.  In addition to outreach programs, Campus Ministries also coordinates inreach programs designed to meet the needs of people on campus.

This group of students spent time helping the Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Lacombe build pie boxes and then visited downtown businesses and offices taking orders for the United Way's upcoming Thanksgiving Pie Fundraiser.  After taking orders they sorted boxes of toys.