Photo Courtesy of Alice Miller-Nation – Students posing for a photo at the Warming House
BY ELIZABETH EGAN, FEATURES ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
At the beginning of the fall semester, a day of service is organized to get Bonaventure students involved in the community and connect them to the Franciscan value of service.
Saturday, Sept. 10 marked St. Bonaventure University’s Annual Day of Service. This year, 77 members of the Bonaventure community participated in seven different service projects. Projects took students to the Warming House, Olean’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, senior centers, the St. Bonaventure Cemeteries, the University Ministries building and all the way to Saints Place in Rochester, New York.
While each project played a role in giving back to the community, they all performed different roles.
One group of students went down to the St. Bonaventure Cemetery where they cleaned the headstones of the friars laid to rest there. This was an important project in that it showed respect to those who had passed away. It’s especially important for those who do not have other family in the area who would come to maintain their final resting place.
Students that went to the SPCA got to volunteer by playing with cats and walking dogs.. Besides being a way for students to have fun and relive stress, it also serves an important function for the animals. Dogs and cats come to the SPCA needing a forever home, but are typically not in the shape to be adopted to one. They need to not only be potty trained but also to be made comfortable around humans. Volunteers coming to walk them play an important role in this process.
A group of 11 students went to the Warming House to make baked goods for the week and deep clean the kitchen and dining room.
Molly Edgington, a freshman education major, was among one of the 10 freshmen who volunteered at the Warming House.
“My friends and I decided that it was something that we wanted to do together to make a difference,” Edgington said. “I made about 60 cookies and individually bagged them up so that they could be used as desserts for guests of the Warming House for the next week.”
Edgington spoke highly of her time saying, “My favorite part of the experience was being able to experience it with my friends. We just had such an enjoyable time away from school and homework.”
Another group of students made the two hour trip to Rochester to bring school supplies and help out at Saint’s Place, an organization that helps refugees get settled in the area. While there, they helped Ukrainian refugees pick out clothing and school supplies, which can make a huge impact in their transition to life in the U.S.
A group with Bona Responds painted the Bona Responds trailer, painted picnic tables as well as built a ramp. Other students made cookies for the facilities, housekeeping and security staff. Another group spent the afternoon visiting and playing games with senior citizens.
The day ended with a dinner for all the volunteers, hosted at the Friary.
“Volunteering with the FCSC is such a great and rewarding experience and way to branch out on campus,” Edgington said. “Every single one of my friends came back from the Warming House ready to sign up and go again and again!”
eganea20@bonaventure.edu
