WILSON, N.C. — The blur of blue shirts spotted across Wilson on Wednesday, Oct. 19, will unmistakably be Barton College Bulldogs busy at work for a multitude of local organizations during the annual Barton College Day of Service in our community. With over 760 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 fourth annual “Day of Service” on campus and in the Wilson community.
Begun in 2008, 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,” shared the Reverend Hollie E. Woodruff, chaplain of the college.
“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,” she added.
The Day of Service will begin with a kick-off breakfast for participants at 8 a.m. followed by brief remarks from campus leaders. Members of the college community will then disperse to assigned locations for service and return to campus later that afternoon to share a meal and reports of work.
Local service projects for the Barton community include working with the Arts Council of Wilson, Avanté, Barnes Elementary School, Boys and Girls Club, Bridgestone/Firestone, Building Blocks for Tots, the Clothes Line, Diversified Opportunities, Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, Fike High School, First Christian Church, For the Love of Dogs, Habitat for Humanity Store, Imagination Station, Jones Elementary School, Kiddie Kampus, Lions Club, Margaret Hearne Elementary School, Mental Health Association, New Hope Elementary School, Parkwood Village, Preservation of Wilson, Sallie B. Howard School, Spring Arbor, St. Therese Catholic Church, The Spot, United Way, Vinson-Bynum Elementary School, Wells Elementary School, Wesley Shelter, Westview Christian Church, Wilson Country Club, Wilson Parks and Recreation, YMCA, and Youth of Wilson, among others.
The 2011 Barton College Day of Service is sponsored in part by Wachovia, a Wells Fargo Company; and by Honeywell.
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Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-236-7202 or 252-289-7846, or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.