As their school song proclaims, students are known for "slingin' the ink" at Seventh-day Adventist-owned Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. But on August 24, you'd be more apt to find them "slingin' the paint." That's because virtually the entire campus
As their school song proclaims, students are known for “slingin’ the ink” at Seventh-day Adventist-owned Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. But on August 24, you’ll find them “slingin’ the paint” instead. That’s because virtually the entire campus will participate in their school’s service initiative, Project Impact.
The event’s 25th anniversary is drawing attention beyond the school’s campus. Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman is scheduled to participate in the day’s opening exercises.
A week into the fall semester, you’d expect most students would rather stock up on sleep than wake up early to paint houses or haul brush, unless it was required, or they perhaps earned academic credit for their involvement. But over the years, student volunteers have found a different sort of motivation—and no, it has nothing to do with the free doughnuts and T-shirts they get for helping out.
Communication major Mindy Mekelburg explains it this way. “Project Impact has made me look beyond myself to see the need for help in our community.” It’s as simple as that. Since 1981, some 13,500 volunteers like Mekelburg have charted over 90,000 hours of service with one goal in mind: making a difference.
“There is always a temptation to use the day for some much needed rest or for getting caught up rather than to show up for Project Impact at 8:14 a.m.,” admits Larry Ray, a Union College professor of mathematics.
But, he’s quick to add, “At the end of the day, we wonder how we could have been tempted to stay away. The joy of seeing a child’s eyes light up or the appreciation expressed by agency personnel gives immeasurable satisfaction. These blessings have kept us going for 25 years.”
Over the decades, local agencies have come to welcome and even depend upon the zeal of Project Impact volunteers. Shanna Letcher, volunteer coordinator for Cedars Youth Service, a Lincoln area child-care and support organization, looks forward to working with Union College volunteers. “They’re never negative; they’re always so cheerful. It’s like they really want to be here.”
And they do, says Justin Okimi, a 2006 graduate, current assistant chaplain at Union College, and six-time Project Impact coordinator. Project Impact inspires marathon-like stamina when it comes to continued service—largely because planners match volunteers with services that best fit their talents and interests.
Call it specialized service; volunteers say it sparks enthusiasm and means they are more likely to commit to long-term projects. Heather Dickman, a health sciences major, says “after participating my freshman year, I was excited to get involved in more volunteer activities…and wanted to make an impact all year long.”
This year, Project Impact will partner with Lincoln Action Program—a private, non-profit community action agency—for a special 25th anniversary project: revitalizing the Lincoln neighborhoods of Clinton and Hartley. Led by Okimi, volunteers will clean yards, remove graffiti and litter, and plant trees, among other urban renewal projects.
They will also participate in the national Read for the Record initiative by reading The Little Engine That Could to children at the Lincoln City Library.
Okimi says that he, along with Union volunteers, is truly “privileged to be a part of these projects.” He continues, “By making students really feel like they’re a part of the community, Project Impact really perpetuates the volunteer process. It makes students realize, ‘Hey, I’m not just going to college here; I live here. I’m a part of this.’”