Union College Volunteers Celebrate National Make a Difference Day

Student volunteer Michael Ealy with nursing home resident Barbara Mills.

Union College students could have spent the morning of Saturday, October 28 getting a few extra hours of much-needed sleep. Instead, fifteen of them chose to participate in National Make a Difference Day.

Student volunteers participated by joining forces with the Barbourville Nursing Home. Volunteers enjoyed a morning filled with playing Bingo, painting stained glass and sharing conversations with several residents in the facility’s activities room.

The purpose of the morning was to spend one-on-one time with residents while enjoying activities organized by the students, according to Reva Hobbs. Reva is one of Union’s Bonner Scholars, the leading volunteer program on campus. At least 36 residents joined in the morning’s activities, and Reva later reflected that “everyone seemed to have a great time.”

Make a Difference Day was created by USA Weekend and is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. The purpose is to promote volunteerism in communities around the country and to celebrate “neighbors helping neighbors.” Union College participates through its Common Partners office and Bonner Scholars program.

For more information about Union College or Common Partners, visit Union at www.unionky.edu.

November 3rd, 2006

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