WILSON, N.C. – With bright blue shirts scattered around the city on Wednesday, Oct. 21, one might wonder what’s going on, but no need to guess. You will have just spotted some busy “bulldogs” from Barton College. With over 650 participants signed up, students and professors at Barton College will set aside books and campus staff members will step away from desks for Barton’s second annual “Day of Service” on campus and in the Wilson community.
Begun last year, this campus initiative supports Barton’s vision for its graduates to be “well-prepared for life and for success in their chosen careers because they will possess a lifelong commitment to learning, service, and achievement.”
Through participation in these one-day projects, Barton hopes to provide its students with a foundation for developing a deeper appreciation for service learning and a stronger sense of civic responsibility, as well as meeting needs within the broader Wilson community.
Developing a lifelong commitment to service is part of the “Barton Experience,” and Barton College’s Day of Service provides an intentional opportunity for the campus community to give back to its hometown community of Wilson.
The Day of Service will begin with a kick-off breakfast for participants at 8 a.m. followed by brief remarks by the Reverend Hollie Woodruff, chaplain of the college. The campus community will then disperse to assigned locations for service and return to campus later that afternoon to share reports of work and refreshments.
Local service projects include working with Habitat for Humanity, the Wesley Shelter, Youth of Wilson, Wilson Parks and Recreation, the Arts Council of Wilson, St. Therese Catholic Church, the ARC of Wilson, Boys and Girls Club/Salvation Army, the Clothes Line, First Christian Church, Imagination Station, Jackson Chapel First Missionary Baptist Church, New Hope Elementary School, Vick Elementary School, Margaret Hearne Elementary School, Wilson Praise and Worship, Preservation of Wilson, Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, YMCA, United Way, Wilson Crisis Center, and Wilson Pregnancy Center, among others.
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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.