Freshmen get acclimated through Community Service-Learning

By working with children, serving meals and doing cleanup work, 12 freshmen and three upperclassmen leaders volunteered a week of their summer to make a difference in the Harrisonburg community.

"The trip helped me form some really strong bonds with people who are in the same boat that I am in coming to school," freshman Jessica Meador said.

The Freshmen Summer Service Trip is coordinated through the Center for Community Service Learning located in Wilson Hall. The trip took place Aug. 11 through 15, culminating with a picnic at Purcell Park. The goals of this trip were to encourage incoming freshmen to get involved in volunteer services, feel comfortable in the Harrisonburg community and develop relationships with other incoming students.

The students stayed at First Presbyterian Church located on North Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg. The first day of service involved preparing and serving lunch at The Little Grill restaurant. Every Monday the staff of the little grill creates an open soup kitchen for anyone in the community.

The following day the group was able to prepare and serve a meal that the First Presbyterian Church hosts once a week.

Freshman Jessica Meador said she enjoyed working at the soup kitchen at the church.

"Some of the people that came to the Little Grill the day before were there too, and they recognized me and talked to me," Meador said. "I was really able to talk with them one on one and get to know their life story. It was really cool to have that experience."

Throughout the week the group worked with organizations including The Boys and Girls Club, preparing a meal and talking with residents of Mercy House, which directly works with low income persons and families in need.

IN the evening the participants SAW hot spots of Harrisonburg and the surrounding communities, including a visit to Reddish Knob, The George Washington National Park, Dave's Taverna and the Daily Grind coffee shop
The cost for the students was minimal and other costs were supplemented through CSL funding. The three leaders all had prior experience in volunteerism and said they befriended the participants as much as possible.

Senior Jeana Upschulte was one of the leaders and also was a participant of the Freshman Summer Service Trip in 1999.

"I had participated in the original Freshman Service Trip and I wanted to have the same impact on the lives of freshmen as my leaders had on me and my fellow trip participants," Upschulte said. "This trip seemed even more appealing because it was staying right here in Harrisonburg; our trip in 1999 went to Lynchburg. I thought it was a wonderful idea to stay here in the community that these students will be living in throughout their JMU career."

Senior Isiah Smith was another of the leaders on the trip. Smith was an Alternative Spring Break leader and also is the coordinator of service opportunities for the Hunger and Housing branch of CSL.

"It was my understanding that this trip was not only a service trip, but it was also an opportunity for a group of 12 freshmen students to make connections with other students in their class, with upperclassmen and with the Harrisonburg community," Smith said. "In respect to these agendas, I'm confident from my perspective and from the feedback I received, it was a successful achievement." 

Throughout the week, friendships were fostered and connections were made between the freshmen students and the leaders.

"It was exciting to show up on the first day and be able to see people that I already knew," Meador said.

Freshman Jennifer Mariano said, "I learned so much from our Freshman Service Trip. I now know where I can plug into the community and serve and where the greatest needs are. Also, at the end of the trip, I felt more like a JMU student. I am so glad I went, it was an awesome experience."

Smith summed up the week saying, "I learned more about me from these 12 students and my two co-leaders than I learned from an entire summer's worth of research. I've had the honor of serving next to an all-star tandem of freshmen students, and I now understand why I came to this school in the first place three years ago.

"Some of the most amazing people you will ever meet are gathered here in the Shenandoah Valley and I am beyond anxious to see how they blossom," Smith said.

Interested students can contact the Community Service-Learning office at 568-3463 or www.jmu.edu/csl.