Hundreds of students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania will be providing service to Indiana organizations and agencies through the spring Into the Streets event on April 5.
Students will be working at locations and organizations, including:
- Alice Paul House advocacy and education center and shelter for domestic violence survivors, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students will clean the play yard at the shelter in preparation for use as the weather improves and help to clean up around the facility.
- Friends of Whites Woods, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., removing invasive barberry plants, which are limiting the development of native plants in White’s Woods Nature Center. Working in 10-member teams, volunteers will pull out the plants, including their roots, and place them on large tarps so that the plants will dry out. Students will be led by Friends of Whites Woods members, who will demonstrate and supervise the process.
- Indiana County Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Parsonage from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. doing spring cleaning, yard work, and organizing donations.
- Indiana Community Garden from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., weeding and mulching around edible fruit trees and cherubs in the Indiana Community Garden food forest to help keep invasive plants in check so that the garden can thrive and provide more food for the community,
- Indiana Free Library from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., preparing the prospective bookstore room for the library.
- Indiana Theater, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., painting and updating several spaces in the theater, including the reception room off the main theater space, the concession area, the green room, performance space, and offices on the fourth floor of the theater building.
- The Salvation Army from 9:00 a.m. to noon, reorganizing the storage area in preparation for upcoming seasonal programs.
This event will take place rain or shine. Sign up to participate by Tuesday, April 1. Contact service-learning@iup.edu with questions.
Into the Streets is sponsored and organized by the Office of Student Leadership in the Division of Student Affairs. Individual students and student teams and organizations will be participating in the program.
“Community service can be a transformative experience that helps students develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their values, and their sense of purpose, ultimately preparing them to become ethical and impactful leaders in their communities and beyond,” IUP Director of Student Leadership Donovan Daniel said.
Ryan Bruce, a psychology major and sociology minor and an IUP Student Government Association Community Service Senator, is working with the Office of Student Leadership on the project.
“I am excited about the recent return of Into the Streets, as this event brings out the best in IUP’s student body,” Bruce said. “After springtime festivities, IUP students are granted the opportunity to give back to the town through volunteering as part of Into the Streets. I believe community service is one of the best ways to connect with local nonprofits and human service agencies in Indiana,” Bruce said.
Organizations interested in being part of future Into the Streets events should contact Daniel at ddaniel@iup.edu.