Eight months. That’s all it took for Nebraska Wesleyan students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university to give 12,500 hours of service to communities across the world.
The university kicked off the 12,500 Hour Service Challenge in August in honor of its 125th anniversary. The goal: to serve 12,500 hours by the end of the anniversary celebration, which concludes in September.
Turns out an entire year wasn’t needed.
Hundreds of community service projects were logged ranging from mentoring students through the TeamMates Program, ringing bells for the Salvation Army, glazing bowls for the university’s Bowls for Backpacks fundraiser, donating blood, cleaning up after Superstorm Sandy, and stocking food pantry shelves.
The service challenge began with the annual Lend-A-Hand to Lincoln event, which sends new first-year students throughout the city to help nonprofit agencies with a variety of projects. Since that August day, the Nebraska Wesleyan community has continued to serve in Lincoln and in communities throughout the state, country and world from Chicago and New York City, Washington, D.C. and Southlake,Texas, to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Fiji.
Our work is not done. The Nebraska Wesleyan community will continue to track service hours. The grand total will be announced and celebrated at homecoming, September 19-22.
Are you volunteering? Join in our challenge and log your service hours.