NCC students, faculty, and staff to volunteer Saturday, May 5
For the sixth year, North Central College students, faculty and staff will join members of the community in a day of service for different community organizations and nonprofits. Volunteers joining the Intersection day of service on Saturday, May 5, will build, clean, host events, work and play to help others and make a difference in local communities.
The full day of service will benefit 12 service agencies, nonprofit organizations and projects in Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield and Wheaton. Volunteers choose a site and serve alongside members of the organizations and local residents. Visit oneintersection.com to register.
The benefitting organizations include Almost Home Kids, Calvary Food Pantry, Emmanuel House, Green Harvest Food Pantry, Lakewood Nursing Home, Little Friends, People’s Resource Center, Loaves and Fishes, Touch My Heart, Triple Threat, Women At Risk (W.A.R.) and World Relief.
“This year’s Intersection Day is especially meaningful for us,” says Whitney Roberts, North Central College’s assistant director of ministry and service and coordinator of Intersection. “We’re celebrating the College’s 150-year anniversary and want this day to showcase our service to the community.” North Central recently was named to the President’s 2012 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its commitment to exemplary community service. Roberts notes that Intersection Day was recognized as one of the service projects with “meaningful outcomes.”
The day of service begins with registration and breakfast at 7:45 a.m. and a brief orientation at 8:30 a.m. at one of two orientation sites. The orientation site for Naperville will be North Central College’s Wentz Concert Hall lobby at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave. The orientation site for Plainfield is Grace Pointe Church-Plainfield, 14210 S. Route 30, Unit 112.
Volunteers will serve at one of the 12 sites from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Maps, directions and lunch at each location will be provided. Cost is $5/person, $20/families and free to students; costs go toward the project. North Central College’s Office of Ministry and Service is coordinating the event. For more information contact Roberts at 630-637-5106. Again this year, the College has joined forces with volunteers from Harvest Bible Chapel and Grace Pointe Church-Naperville and Plainfield.
Visit oneintersection.com and sign up as an individual, family or group for one of the following 12 service tracks:
- Almost Home Kids, Naperville, family-friendly. Assist with yard work, rain or shine.
- Calvary Food Pantry, Naperville. Repair, redo, improve the pantry. Location is also site for The Union.
- Emmanuel House, Aurora. Plant seedlings, weed new community garden with immigrant families living at Emmanuel House
- Green Harvest Food Pantry, Plainfield. Work in the food pantry, greet clients, help with on-site barbecue.
- Lakewood Nursing Home, Plainfield, family-friendly. Plant in the garden, clean a bus, participate in games, visit shut-ins, staff ice cream shop, etc., with residents.
- Little Friends, Naperville, family-friendly. Renovate a thrift store affiliate by moving some merchandise and doing general clean-up of the store.
- Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry, Naperville. Help at the warehouse and food pantry, sorting food, checking expiration dates, etc.
- People’s Resource Center, Wheaton. Work in the food pantry, sorting, organizing and assisting those using the pantry.
- Touch My Heart, Naperville, family-friendly. Assist with Special Needs Carnival for individuals with developmental disabilities, doing setup and teardown, cooking, greeting and running games.
- Triple Threat, Aurora. Set up activities in athletics, academics and art for the Triple-Threat youth in a low-resourced neighborhood in Aurora and for a 10 a.m. cookout for the kids and team.
- Women At Risk (W.A.R.), Naperville. Participate in various projects such as organization and warehousing throughout the W.A.R. boutique, learn about the W.A.R. international organization and how to create awareness.
- World Relief, Aurora, family-friendly. One group of volunteers will clean the World Relief vehicles used daily for transportation with refugee families. A second group will work on the St. David’s Episcopal Church grounds, where the vehicles are parked.
