This past Saturday, students from Main Campus, Japan and Rome united over a common factor – servicing their surrounding communities.
Temple’s Global Day of Service was brought to Main Campus last year by Director of Alumni Relations Christine Brady, but the idea behind the event started a few years ago when alumni from the three campuses began holding community service events on the same day.
“Chapters started on their own with individual things,” CLA alumna Michelle Nicoletto said. “With the backing of campus and with the strong social media impact that we have, it is easier to get the word out.”
Nicoletto said she believes alumni are eager to volunteer in their communities, even if there is not an alumni chapter in their area, she said.
“If people live in somewhere like Maine, and there isn’t a chapter there, we encourage people to do something on their own and report it back to us,” Nicoletto said.
Current graduate and undergraduate students are also encouraged to participate in activities.
“It’s a way to keep the alumni and friends of alumni to put up the Temple name in community service,” Nicoletto said. “There are temple alumni all over the world.”
Among events being held on Main Campus are Adopt-a-Block, Bright Hope Baptist Church Soup Kitchen and Hoot-A-Thon. Nicoletto said five of the events filled up with volunteers a week before the deadline.
“Based on what we did last year, it’s definitely growing – our numbers are showing it, which is really fantastic,” Nicoletto said.
Senior human resources management major Taylor Cowan is volunteering in the Adopt a Block event to clean up a block in the North Philadelphia community.
“I chose Adopt-a-Block because I am very big into the environment and do not like to see so much trash everywhere,” Cowan said.
She said Adopt-a-Block is something she is passionate about, since cleaning around the outside of her apartment is part of her daily routine.
“I always make an effort to clean up in front of my apartment building,” Cowan said. “Litter and trash degrades the value of an area and hinders the natural beauty.”
Cowan said she believes neighborhoods would be cleaner if communities united more often.
“It’s taking the time to benefit something that has little to do with yourself and will help in much bigger ways,” Cowan said. “With help from some students and residents, we can clean things up and make the area more appealing.”
Cowan hopes cleaning up the block will help more students become motivated and dedicated to giving back to their neighborhoods.
“Hopefully our efforts will inspire more students and residents to think the same and help make the streets we live on and share a cleaner, nicer place,” Cowan said.
Nicoletto said she is passionate about giving back to the community and is excited for another day of service. She said he used social media to spread awareness of the event via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“With the backing of Main Campus, we have grown,” Nicoletto said. “I know the numbers will grow.”
In addition, Temple recently started the “Take Charge” campaign, which centers around helping Philadelphia communities.
“Together [we have] a bigger impact than just little chapters doing everything individually,” Nicoletto said.
Karlina Jones can be reached at karlina.jones@temple.edu
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