Hillsdale College Kicks Off National Volunteer Week
Students Pack and Donate 20,000 Meals to Haitian School Children
HILLSDALE, Mich. – Hillsdale College kicked off National Volunteer Week (April 23-29) by partnering with Numana Inc., a hunger relief organization that helps to feed children in Haiti. More than 120 Hillsdale students gathered Saturday, April 22 to pack 22,032 meals to feed a school of 100 children for one year. The event was organized by the college’s Great Opportunities in Assistance and Leadership (GOAL) program.
“Volunteering used to be an activity, but now I think it’s becoming part of our students’ lifestyles,” said Rebekah Dell, Assistant of Women and staff advisor to the GOAL program. “We believe encouraging service is an important part of the Hillsdale College student experience. It’s been exciting to watch it grow on our campus.”
The GOAL program is comprised of 22 individual volunteer organizations, and provides students with a variety of opportunities to serve the surrounding community. More than 40 percent of Hillsdale students volunteer on a regular basis, resulting in a total average of 15,000 volunteer hours per year.
“Volunteering helps you move outside yourself,” said junior Allison Deckert, GOAL program student coordinator. “It helps you see there is a whole world of people who have their own unique life stories. It changes the way you see the world, the way you see the things that you are studying.”
In addition to preparing meals for children in Haiti, Hillsdale students have undertaken a variety of volunteer activities, including providing water to the town of Flint, Michigan during its water crisis, adopting grandparents at local nursing homes to mentoring elementary school students, and many other projects.
In honor of Volunteer Week, Hillsdale has released a video about the GOAL program, available here.
Photos of the meal preparation are here.
About Hillsdale College’s GOAL Programs
Hillsdale College’s Great Opportunities for Assistance and Leadership (GOAL) Programs are a student-organized volunteer network that connects college students with a variety opportunities to serve the surrounding Hillsdale community. More than 40 percent of Hillsdale’s student body volunteers through the GOAL Program. More information is available at hillsdale.edu/volunteer.