KENNESAW, Ga. | Apr 28, 2017

Annual ‘KSU Day of Service’ draws record numbers

It was the biggest “KSU Day of Service” to date when 401 faculty, staff, students and alumni got together April 22, for the fourth annual community service event.

“It was the best turnout we’ve ever had,” said organizer Kimberly Henghold, assistant director of Community Engagement. “The first year we held the event, we had five sites. This year we had volunteers at 13 sites.”

From Heaven’s Gait therapeutic riding center in Woodstock, where volunteers from the KSU community painted a fence, to the Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, where more volunteers pulled weeds and planted vegetables, the civic-minded fanned out across the community to help. Volunteers also assembled bags of toiletries for the homeless, collected books for Africa and did landscape beautification projects.

“This all started with an idea from a faculty member who wanted to bring everybody together for a day of service, and we said it’s an absolutely wonderful idea,” Henghold said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for our community agencies to see the great students, faculty, alumni and staff that we have here at Kennesaw.”

In 2014, 110 volunteers participated in the day, compared to 276 in 2016. In 2015, there was a “monsoon,” according to Henghold, and participation dropped to 96.

“The event just keeps growing in popularity, which just shows the KSU community wants to help,” she said. “That’s the kind of community we have; people want to volunteer; people want to help.”

In addition to the record number of volunteers, Henghold pointed out there were 70 alumni who registered for the event.

“It’s the one day of the year our students can volunteer alongside our faculty, staff, alumni and the community,” she said. “And in building our community, we want everyone to have an opportunity to get to know our students.”

Applications to be a volunteer site open in September and can be found on the Day of Service website, http://dayofservice.kennesaw.edu.

“A day like this helps our students become more civic-minded and engaged with the community, which is going to help them become better citizens,” she said. “And, it creates awareness of nonprofits and what the needs of our community are.”

– Jennifer Hafer

Photos by David Caselli

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.