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Hundreds of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½×îаæÏÂÔØ University freshmen start off school year by volunteering

More than 700 new ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½×îаæÏÂÔØ University students and nearly 50 staff and Peer Ministers volunteered at “SOAR into the Community,” an impressive community service opportunity that provided assistance to 18 off-campus sites—from Daybreak Center, operated by Catholic Charities in Joliet, to Big Brothers Big Sisters, which serves youngsters in Will and Grundy County. The community projects were organized in association with the United Way of Will County and the United Way of DuPage County. Eight projects also were conducted on campus, in collaboration with faculty and staff for community and university projects.

The Salvation Army facility in Joliet was among the volunteer sites. Students at the Salvation Army were assigned to three areas. The first group helped to prepare for the Christmas fund-raising season by readying the famous kettles, stands and related materials; the second group assisted with registration for community services and entered data gathered from the registrations into the computer system; the third group rolled up their sleeves and cleaned the kitchen of dust and debris from construction to the Salvation Army’s recently constructed new facility.

Fifty students and five staff members at the Camp Fire USA Illinois Prairie Council in Lombard cleaned cabins after the summer programs, pulled weeds in the common areas, cleared grounds and removed branches and hazards along the walking trail. Additional community projects were conducted at MorningStar in Joliet and the MorningStar Thrift Stores in Joliet and New Lenox; Trinity Services in Joliet; United Cerebral Palsy in Joliet; the Lockport Township Park District, Family Shelter Service of DuPage County; Loaves & Fishes in Naperville; Green Harvest Food Pantry in Plainfield; Feed My Starving Children and Hesed House in Aurora; the Children’s Advocacy Center and Cornerstone Services in Joliet; as well as the Daybreak Center, Guardian Angel Home and Big Brothers Big Sisters, all in Joliet.

On-campus activities varied from improvements along Burnham Nature Trail; the Empty Bowls Hunger Project; Support Our Troops; “It’s Game Time” Athletics Project; Recreation Center Round Up and Mailroom CleanUp; Alumni Gratitude Project; Morning Star Mission Mailing, and Caps for Cancer.

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½×îаæÏÂÔØ University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 6,500 traditional and adult students. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½×îаæÏÂÔØ offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½×îаæÏÂÔØ prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½×îаæÏÂÔØ has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.