800 students expected to participate in fifth annual Service Day

About 800 students will be hitting the streets, instead of hitting the books, planting flowers, playing with kids, washing cars and much more at local non-profits all over town such as Youth Encouragement Service, Nashville Rescue Mission and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Beginning at 11 a.m., Lipscomb students will be serving at more than 18 organizations at about 30 locations citywide.

Scott McDowell, Lipscomb’s dean of students, stated, “At Lipscomb we constantly encourage our students to extend their learning beyond textbooks and classrooms, so when students suggested an annual service day for the community instead of regular classes, we thought that was an excellent way to teach the value of service as a form of learning.”

For the past five years Lipscomb’s Service Day has sent students all over the Greater Nashville area to serve organizations like Metro Parks and Recreation, Wayne Reed Child Care Center and Habitat for Humanity. However, this year marks Lipscomb’s first year to send 100 volunteers to Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, taking on projects such as painting, cleaning and landscaping.

“We are delighted to have the young men and women of Lipscomb University involved with our schools,” said MNPS Director Pedro E. Garcia, Ed. D. “While we certainly appreciate their work with paintbrushes and shovels, we are more thankful for their efforts to be role models – showing our students the value and importance of community service.”

Carly Short, student coordinator of Service Day 2007 stated, “Lipscomb students will benefit greatly from serving the metro schools. This is our community, and some day we will be raising our kids here. So it’s good to get involved now to ensure a better future for our families.”

Short is making a special effort this year to reach out to the local Hispanic community. Many of the Lipscomb students will be working with members of the Grandview Church of Christ in Woodbine and helping people with their taxes at Antioch Church of Christ in Antioch. Nashville residents will also see Lipscomb students offering free car washes around the city or landscaping and mulching in local city parks.

“Each student is allowed to volunteer for the service project that means the most to them. Service Day allows every student to use their talents for God’s glory and to discover their niche,” said Hope Miller, student coordinator for Service Day 2006. “Some students will be painting; others will be teaching English; some will be leading activities at the nursing home; others will be cleaning. None of the tasks are greater than the others.”

In just five years, Lipscomb’s Service Day participation has grown from around 50 students to around 800 this year. The event has already made a major impact on the lives of Lipscomb students.

It certainly had an impact on the life of Kristina Parnell, a former Service Day student coordinator who now works for Margaret Allen Middle School teaching English as a second language.

“Service has always been an important part of my life. In coordinating Service Day, my goal was to give students a jump start into a life of service. Especially if you are not from Nashville, you may not know where to go to serve. Participating in Service Day is a great way to find where you are being called to serve,” said Parnell.

In the fall of 2005 Kristina and her husband Sam, a residence hall director at Lipscomb, took a group of 20 students to Mississippi to help with Hurricane Katrina relief. This spring break, she led a mission team of 50 Lipscomb students to Baja, Mexico.

Below are several recommended options for photos and video footage: