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For Immediate Release
August 13, 2003
NEBRASKA WESLEYAN TO HELP STUDENTS GET TO
KNOW THEIR NEW COMMUNITY
LINCOLN, Neb. -First-year students at Nebraska Wesleyan
University will get to know their home-away-from-home a little better
on August 23 when they scatter across Lincoln and help make improvements
to their new community.
Approximately 420 first-year students will join
Wesleyan’s faculty and staff and participate in the ninth
annual “Lend-A-Hand To Lincoln Day.” Students will help
nearly 30 schools and service agencies with a variety of projects,
including a back-to-school fair at Lincoln Action Program, washing
and waxing school buses at Sacred Heart Elementary, playing bingo
with residents at Milder Manor, distributing bookmobile schedules
for the city libraries, and painting for the Lincoln Area Agency
on Aging.
Geri Cotter, director of career services and organizer
of Lend-A-Hand To Lincoln, says the annual project helps introduce
new students to Nebraska Wesleyan and the Lincoln community.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for new students
to bond with each other, interact with faculty and staff in a non-threatening
setting, be introduced to our campus value of service, and help
out their new community,” she said.
Students will participate during two sessions from
9:30-11:30 a.m. and from 1-3 p.m.
Cotter said Lend-A-Hand To Lincoln has become a
popular project for area service agencies and schools.
“We did have to turn some agencies away this
year which shows there is really a need for this kind of service
in the community,” she said.
Agencies being served include:
Lincoln Action Program — back-to-school fair
Tabitha Health Care Services — visiting with
residents
Habitat for Humanity — assist with garage
sale
Sacred Heart Elementary School — wash and
wax school buses
Hispanic Community Center — cleaning
Lighthouse — landscaping, painting, cleaning
Milder Manor — bingo with residents
Dawes Middle School — assist in preparing
for start of school
Pioneers Park Nature Center — pick up branches,
downed trees
Villa Marie School — wash windows, organize
library books
Pershing Elementary School — cleaning, landscaping,
painting
University Place Art Center — cleaning
Family Service — wash chairs, toys, tables,
walls
Lincoln Area Agency On Aging — cleaning
St. Vincent de Paul — cleaning
Capital Humane Society — yard and shelter
cleaning
Fresh Start Home – painting, closet organizing
Trinity Lutheran School — pull weeds, clean
buses and vans
Northeast Family Center — organize materials
for after-school projects
Keep Nebraska Beautiful — clean around Oak
Lake
Randolph Elementary School — weeding
Lincoln Regional Center — organizing storeroom,
filing
City Impact — cleaning
Lincoln City Libraries — distribute bookmobile
schedules
Child Advocacy Center — make phone calls
for fundraiser, make decorations
Mercy Services Corporation — painting, cleaning
Arc of Lincoln — yard clean up
Salvation Army
St. Monica’s
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