Walsh University Service Projects "Hands That Serve" and "Project Kare" Benefit Community

Service to others has been a part of Walsh’s mission and education since the Brothers of Christian Instruction first opened our doors over 50 years ago. In our Service Spotlight, we highlight two of the many Walsh service projects that benefit our community.

Hands That Serve, a new Campus Ministry service program, has brought together many helping hands on Walsh’s campus, and the student response has been tremendous. Originally established last year for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day and Human Dignity Week, the project has been a monthly staple this academic year.

Hands That Serve meets once a month to tackle some type of service project. This past fall, students made bracelets for Tanzania, cards for the patients at the House of Loreto, Hope plaques for the Domestic Violence Shelter, and decorated 40 trees for the local United Service Organization, or USO.

The objective of Hands That Serve is simple – to perform and track service projects by various entities both on and off campus and to prevent duplication of efforts. But according to Mary Niedenthal, student outreach coordinator in Campus Ministry, the group achieves even more.

“Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, students are exposed to the greater needs of the community,” Niedenthal said. “The program has enhanced our service culture here at Walsh and taken it to a whole new level. This is about Jesus Christ and His call for all of us to serve our brothers and sisters. Hands That Serve has brought together groups on campus who have not had a chance to work together before. It has become a real community builder for us,” Neidenthal said.

Project KARE

The Honors Students at Walsh University were also busy with a service project this semester. The group got together to make fleece blankets for Project KARE, a program under the umbrella of Stark County Children Services, that enables children to receive school supplies, holiday gifts and other types of assistance throughout the year. In 2010, Project KARE provided Christmas gifts for 1,000 children in Stark County and anticipated the same numbers of children in need this Christmas season.

Honors students that worked on the blanket project include, Michelle Colopy, Nicholas Harvey, Sarah Feeney, Zachary Thomas, Tyler Cosma, Kaitlyn Dougherty, Rachel Dedinsky, Jule Sarachman, Ellen Cinadat, Gabriel Burgos, Veronica Ringel, Regina Friedl, Chelsea Blank, Emily Ohman, Caila Jacobs, Estelle Byelene, Bethany Elchert, Diana Frank, Justin Kole, Tiffany Slutz, Taylor Sherrod, Jackyln Evans, Dominic Colucy, Kelley Manning were the honor students who participated in making the blankets.