October/November 2024
what’s in THIS ISSUE
Volume 62 Issue 2
2024 Saint Francis Day Of Service Kate Smith Contributing Writer
Alvernia Sports Coverage
Are you someone who wants to learn more about the significance behind this day of service? The Saint Francis Day of Service specializes in honoring the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and is usually celebrated near the date of Feast of Saint Francis. Service is one of the five core values of Alvernia University that strives to further develop the character of members within the Alvernia community. Berks County participated in its Particular Potato Picking Pastime this year with the help of the Alvernia community. On Sunday, September 29,
Alvernia University students, faculty and community members volunteered at the iHartHarvest Potato Field in Kutztown. During the day of service, volunteers picked and bagged potatoes. On average, between 150 to 200 volunteers take part in this service event each year. Thousands of potatoes were collected and donated to Helping Harvest, where potatoes are cleaned and passed off to local families in need. As a thank you for the hard work, iHartHarvest staff prepared hot dogs, fries, cookies, and soda for the volunteers. Thousands of potatoes were collected and donated to Helping Harvest, where potatoes are
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Volunteers picking potatoes on the day of service. Photo taken by Kate Smith
cleaned and passed off to local families in need. As a thank you for the hard work, iHartHarvest staff prepared hot dogs, fries, cookies, and soda for the volunteers. Student productivity
The Alvernian spoke to a few volunteers who took part in the event. Represented below are Vivianna Heath (third-year who is double majoring in Psychology and Physical Therapy), Aislinn Murphy (first-year with an undecided major), and Alvernia University’s current president, Dr. Glynis Fitzgerald.
Volunteers bagging potatoes. Photo taken by Kate Smith
Service Day Q & A: Q: What does service mean to you? HEATH: “Service to me is about the commitment to uplifting others and making a positive impact in their lives, reflecting empathy and compassion” MURPHY: “What service means to me is helping the community out” FITZGERALD: “I’ve been active in community service since my earliest days as a Girl Scout. Over time my perception has changed. Community service is one of the most powerful tools we have because the resources one can provide our fellow humans are infinite. The ways in which we participate in community service must transcend the traditional forms of how we serve others.” Although people may think that they themselves can’t make a difference, that is far from the truth. Organizations from all around the world need help every single day and anything that anyone can do to help makes a difference, even the littlest of practices as elaborated on in the following: FITZGERALD: “Soup kitchens and food banks are incredibly important to providing emergency services to people in need and could not operate without the support of volunteers and Alvernia will remain actively engaged in supporting those. However, we also must highlight other forms of service that play an integral role in overcoming the reasons people resort to emergency resources.
Mentoring or speaking to at-risk youth like with the Reading Youth Initiative, providing support to non-profits through the O’Pake Institute, and educating ourselves about why challenges like food insecurity and social injustice exist through conversations with the Holleran Fellows are examples of approaches that support our communities.” “Encouraging our students to adopt a proactive, outside the box approach to service is critical to combating many of the challenges our nation faces today.” Q: What was your favorite part of this service opportunity? HEATH: “My favorite part of day of service is discussing what we learned afterwards.” MURPHY: “My favorite part was eating fries with my classmates.” FITZGERALD: “Besides the fresh cut French fries straight from the field? No really, I enjoy spending time with students. Getting dirty in the field has a way of bringing us together and opening up conversations. I look forward to hearing the problems students share with me that we can solve together.” Although the job is more exhausting than it may seem, if you’re looking to break a sweat for a good cause and is someone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty, then this service project is calling your name!