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EU students serve on Make a Difference Day

Published on Oct 13, 2015 by Kameron Nettleton

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — More than 300 Evangel University students, faculty and staff members will volunteer around the Springfield community during the annual Make a Difference Day, Saturday afternoon, Oct. 24, 2015.

Volunteers will gather at 11:45 a.m. at Evangel, before launching out to serve at Victory Mission, Harmony House, Ronald McDonald House, Sammy’s Window and six to eight other sites around the Springfield community.

“Evangel has a strong commitment to help others,” said Donna Trower, chair of the Make a Difference Day committee at Evangel. “I love the concern that Evangel students have for others.”

CROSSwalk student ministries is the primary sponsor for Make a Difference Day at Evangel. The MADD committee also includes members from several other Evangel campus organizations, including the Activities Board, ESGA, the Social Work Club and the Leadership program.

“These students are truly living out the mission of Evangel University,” Trower said.

EU, MSU, DU, OTC & SBU unite for “Fostering the Futures”

In addition to sending volunteers, Evangel is collaborating with Missouri State University, Drury University, Ozark Technical College and Southwest Baptist University in “Fostering the Futures.”

Students from these institutions are donating goods to the Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association (MFCAA). All donated items will go to displaced kids in foster and adoptive families.

Trower said that the team from Evangel that serves at Sammy’s Window, an agency of MFCAA, will personally drop off the items collected on Evangel’s campus.

History of Make a Difference Day

USA Weekend’s Make a Difference Day is an annual event that takes place every fourth Saturday of October. It is a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.

Created by the magazine in 1992, Make a Difference Day has grown into the largest community service effort in the nation by rallying corporations, government leaders, charitable organizations and everyday Americans into action.

Evangel’s observance of Make a Difference Day began in 2005 at the prompting of Lacey Nunnally, director of Evangel’s social work program. MADD was incorporated into the work of EU’s CROSSwalk student ministries, which is the primary sponsor and the driving force behind campus volunteerism

“CROSSwalk sponsors more than 800 activities, events and meetings per year,” said Dr. Sandy Friesen, coordinator of service opportunities and intercultural studies.

Each year, 3 million people participate in Make a Difference Day worldwide and help millions more.

For additional information, contact Donna Trower at (417) 865-2815, ext. 7321.