BRCC Students Work Together for the United Way’s Unity Day
Whether it was washing vehicles, doing yard work or unloading boxes, more than 30 BRCC students pitched in full force for the Greater Augusta United Way’s Unity Day on September 9.
Students spent the day cleaning vans at the Staunton Senior Citizens Center, spreading mulch at the Boy Scout Camp in Swoope, packing books and sprucing up the yard at the Woodrow Wilson Library in Staunton and unloading trucks at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in Verona.
“I like to help others when the need arises, if I am able to,” said Michael Harrison, a Student Government Association officer and Student Ambassador. “I am retired military and it makes me feel that I am still contributing to my country and community,” he said of his work at the Woodrow Wilson Library.
The BRCC Student Ambassadors, under the direction of Student Activities Director Mary Kier Smith, were given a “Best Collaborative Volunteer Engagement Award” by the United Way for their participation in last year’s Unity Day.
Giving back to the community it serves is a cornerstone of a BRCC education. Many faculty members incorporate all types of volunteer activities into their courses. “Service learning is just one of the many ways we express our shared values,” said Dr. John Downey, BRCC president. “Service learning projects also help students begin to apply, understand, and assimilate better the content we present through classroom instruction.”
The Office of Student Activities has information on all of BRCC’s student organizations, many of which participate in a variety of volunteer activities both on and off campus. For more information, visit http://www.brcc.edu/clubs/.
