CHARLES PRITCHARD
Staff Writer
Some people are content with dropping a few quarters in the Salvation Army collection box around Christmas time and claiming that as their good deed for the year. However, there are others, like the volunteers at the Days of Service, that stand out at the front and manage to become models of selflessness.
Blood donations, food drives, volunteer work of every caliber — from big to small — and a whole host of activities can help restore that faith in common good and decency.
“I think [Days of Service] is a great opportunity for students and faculty and staff to join together and have a collective impact on the community,” said President Virginia Horvath. “Our county has so many problems with the level of poverty and the challenges the people face. Sometimes, it can feel like a bubble on campus. Some people on campus only ever stay on campus or go downtown. If Temple Street is all you’re seeing in this community, then you’re really not understanding the reality that many people face.”
Organized by the Office of Volunteer and Community Services, Days of Service is a six-day event, with a multitude of events starting on Nov. 7 and continuing until Nov. 12, with members of the community and the campus collegiate giving back in a number of ways.
There are seemingly small things, such as Fall Sweep, an event in which members of Fredonia rake leaves around the houses in the community.
Many able-bodied students may raise an eyebrow at just how that can be helpful, but in the eyes of the elderly and infirm, it can mean all the difference in the world.
Many other things are being done to reach out to the community and help build bridges and skills not present until now.
One of the more prominent events is Operation Breakfast Rescue, a food drive for the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry. The event is cosponsored by the Office of Volunteer and Community Services, the Daniel A. Reed Library and Fredonia’s Delta Chi Fraternity.
One of the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry’s programs, Friendly Kitchens, helps distribute food to those in need.
“There are so many people who need things like breakfast foods who don’t have it,” said Joyce Harvard Smith, chair of the Volunteer and Community Services office. “Things like canned and nonperishable foods can really help those in the community who need it.”
Fliers have been floating around campus, listing the kinds of things that Operation Breakfast Rescue is looking for. The list includes cereal, pancake mix, oatmeal, baby formula, Cream of Wheat, breakfast bars, canned fruit, coffee and shelf-stable breakfast food items.
In Reed Library, from Nov. 10–11, donations will be accepted and collections will take place in Williams Center G103A on Nov. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Last year, we collected over 400 pounds of food,” Smith said with a smile.
One of the many participants in Days of Service last year was Tyler Brown, a senior speech pathology major.
“I worked the desk at Friendly Kitchen, handing out things like drinks and coffee,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to do, and it was really enjoyable to help out and work with the community.”
Brown serves as president for Operation Smile, a charity to help children with cleft lips and cleft palates get the surgery they need.
“Originally, it was the Fredonia Day of Service,” Smith admitted. “However, we pushed it and it became [around] 7 days.”
Those interested in volunteering for this event can register on the Days of Service form, located on the Office of Volunteer and Community Services webpage at fredonia.edu/campuslife/volunteer.