Penn State students from six campuses help community organizations
January 18, 2011
By: FRANCES BORSODI ZAJAC
Courtesy of Herald Standard
About 80 Penn State University students from six campuses celebrated Martin Luther King Day
Monday by helping community organizations in Fayette County. "It's not an off day. It's a day of
service,'' said Jerome Stafford of Connellsville, an English major at Penn State Fayette, The
Eberly Campus.
"I think it's a great way to give back,'' said Brent Lint of Dickerson Run, who is majoring in
business at Penn State Fayette. "Instead of staying home and doing nothing, you help out,'' said
James Archibald of Hopwood, also majoring in business at Penn State Fayette. "It gives you a
perspective on things.''
Chad Long, assistant director of student affairs at Penn State Fayette, explained that students
came to Fayette County from Penn State's western Pennsylvania campuses, including Beaver,
Dubois, Greater Allegheny, New Kensington and Shenango. They work together each year on the
holiday to provide a Martin Luther King Day of Service, with one campus being the host site.
Fayette served as host this year, setting up projects with six local organizations. Long said, "They
are taking part in Martin Luther King's dream to help other people. It's an out-of-classroom
experience and it's teaching students to give back to the community.''
Stafford, Lint and Archibald were among students working at the Fayette County Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in North Union Township, where they walked and bathed dogs
and gave them treats. Long served as team leader for the group.
Other organizations being served included:
Mount Macrina Manor, a North Union Township, long-term care facility, where students used
computers to create activity boards for residents with dementia.
St. Vincent De Paul Society in Uniontown, where they sorted through food and clothing
donations, helped quilters working with Project Linus to provide quilts for children in hospitals and
residents at Mount Macrina Manor and assisted with Hear Fayette, a program that helps people
who are hearing impaired.
City Mission/Gallatin Living Center, a Uniontown site that serves the homeless, where students
took down Christmas decorations and cleaned the center.
East End United Community Center in Uniontown, where students worked with children and
cleaned.
City of Uniontown, where students cleaned the city's two parking garages.
Students met at Penn State Fayette for a welcome by Long that included a showing of the 1963 "I
Have A Dream'' speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Francis Achampong, chancellor of Penn State Fayette, provided a keynote address, noting
how King left a rich legacy as he fought for the disenfranchised. "He made the ultimate sacrifice.
He lost his life to the cause he devoted himself,'' said Achampong of King, who was assassinated
in 1968.
The chancellor thanked the students for volunteering their time, and said, "Let me challenge you
not to make this a one-time thing but the beginning of a lifetime of service.''
The students split into teams, with staffers from the different Penn State campuses serving as
team leaders at different sites.
Marly Doty, student life coordinator for the Dubois campus who served as team leader for the
Mount Macrina crew, said, "I think it's a great day for Penn State students to do service and to
meet students who share their passion for community service.''
Joe Berg of New Castle, who attends Penn State's Shenango campus where he is majoring in
information technology and service, worked beside Doty and said, "You should participate in your
community and give back when you can.''
Vanessa Myers of Perryopolis is student activities coordinator for Penn State's New Kensington
campus and served as team leader for the St. Vincent De Paul assignment. She organized the
food pantry with students Jimmy Baker of Lower Burrell, who attends the New Kensington
campus and is majoring in corporate communications, as well as Chris Albert of the Dubois
campus, who is majoring in secondary education.
Baker, who volunteered for the second year, said, "I like being able to get out in different
communities, seeing what's going on and giving back.''
Albert, who was participating in the Day of Service for the first time, said, "I wanted to give back
to the community - it's as simple as that.''
Andy Paden, who is majoring in physical therapy assistant at the Shenango campus, was
stocking shelves at St. Vincent De Paul. "Penn State does a lot for me and I wanted to help Penn
State and others. It also gets us out of our comfort zone. We meet new people. It stretches us a
little bit,'' he said.
The organizations were pleased to welcome the students.
Roy Sarver, executive director of St. Vincent De Paul, said, "It's great these students are here.
They are really carrying on the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.''
Howard Springer, human officer and shelter manager for the SPCA, said, "It opens up more
people's eyes to how we work and what we do.''
The teams received flip videos to record their work and were scheduled to come together at Penn
State Fayette to share their experiences at the end of the day.