700 participate in Service Day Wednesday

Janel Shoun-Smith | 

Lipscomb's afternoon classes are canceled once a year for Service Day

Photo Feature of Service Day 2015

(April 7, 2015, Updated April 10, 2015) -- More than 700 Lipscomb University students spread out all over town on Wednesday as classes were suspended to hold the university’s annual Service Day. From sorting food and cooking meals to yard work and gardening, groups of Lipscomb students headed to almost 50 agencies from 1 to 4 p.m. to help improve the community.

One group prepped for a garden at Glencliff High School. Another group helped prepare the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, for its annual Top 30 Under 30 event. Some students will prepared a meal at the Nashville Rescue Mission and others delivered furniture for Open Table. Sorting supplies, packing care packages, building picnic tables, picking up trash along the highway, cleaning, organizing and even helping a woman move to a new home were all on the agenda for Lipscomb’s students at locations all over town.

Specific student groups went to work at certain locations:

  • Lipscomb’s IDEAL (Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb) program provides academic instruction, social interaction and life skills training for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This year, the 11 IDEAL students worked in three locations for Service Day: the Nashville Food Project, ThriftSmart and Churches of Christ Disaster Relief.
  • Lipscomb’s international and diverse students lent a hand at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, in downtown Nashville, as well as SafeHaven, Branch of Nashville and Lanbscroft Ministries.
  • The College of Pharmacy sent about 200 volunteers to several locations including serving a meal at the Nashville Rescue Mission and painting at the Nashville Latino Health Coalition and Progreso Community Center.

Beginning with freshman orientation, which includes QuestWeek Service Day, Lipscomb’s curriculum and programs are designed to give students a jump start into a life of service. Throughout the school year, students volunteer for social club projects, do service to earn chapel credit, participate in mission trips and volunteer on Service Day. Students also take service-learning courses coordinated by the SALT Program (Serving and Learning Together), a program involving all students in service-learning as a graduation requirement.