Alfred University and Alfred State College resume Spring Into Action Day of Service
Spring Into Action Day of Service, an annual community service event co-sponsored by Alfred University’s Gary Horowitz Service Learning Program and Alfred State College’s Center for Civic Engagement, returned this year after a hiatus in 2020 due to the global pandemic.
ALFRED, NY – Spring Into Action Day of Service, an annual community service event co-sponsored by Alfred University’s Gary Horowitz Service Learning Program and Alfred State College’s Center for Civic Engagement, returned this year after a hiatus in 2020 due to the global pandemic.
Service projects began Saturday, April 17, in eight communities and will continue through Saturday, April 24. More than 160 student volunteers from both colleges will complete 15 service projects for this event.
Service projects for Spring Into Action 2021 include sites in Alfred, Alfred Station, Allentown, Almond, Belmont, Hornell, Wellsville, and West Almond. Community partners include ACCORD Corporation; Alfred-Almond Community Sports Association; Alfred Community Garden and Alfred State College; Allegany County Saddle Dusters, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and IMPACT: Friends of Allegany County Trails; Almond Woodlawn Cemetery; Art for Rural America and the Fassett GreenSpace; Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County; Hornell Area Concern for Youth; Fairview Cemetery; Hornell Area Community Garden (United Presbyterian Church and Hornell YMCA); Rural Cemetery Association of Hornell; Union University Church and the Alfred Seventh Day Baptist Church; and the Village of Alfred.
On Saturday, April 17, students from Alfred University volunteered at project sites in three communities. Members of the AU men’s soccer team (pictured in the photo above) completed trail maintenance work at Phillips Creek State Forest, clearing trails and removing a wooden bridge prior to its replacement. “Although the weather was cold, muddy, and with some snow on the ground, we were able to accomplish a lot,” said project site supervisor Pauline Burnes, of the Allegany County Saddle Dusters and IMPACT: Friends of Allegany County Trails.
The Alfred University women’s soccer team readied the Hornell Area Community Garden for spring planting, while members of the Alfred University Honors Program Servitors Group assisted the Village of Alfred with cleaning and organizing the Village Hall. Village of Alfred Trustee Andrea Gill, who supervised the Village Hall project.
“I was lucky to have an amazing team, mostly artists and engineers who knew how to problem-solve, and were not daunted by hard work” Gill commented. “I am so grateful for this donation of labor. I also met a group of ambitious, hard-working people who, when given a task, were able to collaborate successfully and figure out how to get it done. I left the building full of joy and confidence that our next generation of leaders are so capable.”
Gary Horowitz Service Learning Program Coordinator Corey Fecteau thanked all who have helped make the Spring Into Action Day of Service event such a success
“This is the first University-wide day of service we have been able to hold in a year due to COVID-19 safety considerations,” Fecteau commented. “We are grateful for the support and understanding of our community partners, as well as the willingness of students to serve today in conditions more like winter than spring. Thanks to the dedication and community-mindedness of everyone involved with this event, we were able to accomplish a lot of good work and give back to local communities.”
Service events will continue through April 24. Photos from the days of service can be found on the Spring Into Action Day of Service Facebook page and on the Gary Horowitz Service Learning Program Instagram and Facebook pages.