The Center for Faith Engagement often partners with local organizations to provide Andrews University students, faculty and staff with intentional, practical opportunities to serve.
Sofia Oudri, exercise science and Spanish/translation & interpretation major, Doctor of Physical Therapy student
Andrews University has been fortunate enough to collaborate with Versiti on two successful blood drives this school year. Part of my job as student chaplain for service at the Center for Faith Engagement (CFE) has been to coordinate with Kathy Ramirez, Versiti account representative, on the location, sign-ups and volunteers. The one thing that makes blood drives successful is community involvement, and Andrews University has really shown up. Students from both the nursing and medical laboratory sciences departments volunteered to help with the blood drives in the fall and spring, respectively. The departments were extremely willing to be of service, and the students did a great job manning the check-in table and helping with the snack table for donors.
The donor turnout was also great. We had professors, students from all departments and community members show up to donate. In talking with the students, there were some that had never given blood before, so it was great to see their willingness. The Versiti staff have also been a big help, both in how quickly and efficiently they set up as well as how friendly and calming they make the atmosphere. All these things have made both blood drives successful.
The spring blood drive was during a time of extreme, freezing temperatures and a lot of snow. Kathy reached out to me, saying that there had been several cancellations of blood drives and appointments, they were down 2,000 units of blood, and they were in desperate need of donors.
Through emails and posts, we made this known to our campus, and the response was amazing. Sign-ups were completely full, and Versiti even sent extra staff to open up more time slots and increase the number of units collected! I hope to continue seeing the willingness of our community to do good in a time of chaos and help save people’s lives.
Nathan Escamilla, social work and general/health care management graduate student
In December, athletes from our Andrews University Cardinals teams attended an Athletic Service Sabbath where we helped serve the community of Benton Harbor. During this event, our athletes participated in four different service projects. Some students wrote words of encouragement to people in the community, while others packed bags to give away to individuals experiencing homelessness. A group of our athletes also helped at Our House of the Way, where they prepared and served a hot meal for the homeless. In addition, members of our men’s soccer team helped interview some of the homeless individuals and filled out surveys provided by Our House of the Way. This survey was designed to help the organization better understand how to reach the homeless population and assist with their needs.
CFE offers many different opportunities for our students to serve others during Service Sabbaths, which typically occur once a month. Some of these activities include helping out at the local shelter, cooking for the homeless, singing at nursing homes and helping at schools.
The group that contributed to the December Service Sabbath consisted of student athletes from the men’s and women’s soccer teams, the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and the women’s volleyball team. Our men’s and women’s basketball teams even had games later that night, yet it was great to see how many of them still showed up earlier in the day to serve others.
Here at Andrews University, our student athletes desire to help others, and they have a mission to become world changers. Through initiatives like Service Sabbath, our athletes were able to do just that. This was all made possible through our collaboration with CFE and the willingness of our students. It also reflects the emphasis that the Office of Athletics continues to stress: being both a student and an athlete who strives to become a servant leader on and off the court and field.
Guillermo Dominguez, psychology/brain & cognition and Spanish/language, literature & culture student
The Christmas Behind Bars program is one that I am proud to have been a part of. I was involved with both the setup and packaging of the bags that were eventually donated to incarcerated individuals.
For me, it was beautiful to see so many members of the Andrews University and Berrien Springs communities coming together. I was tasked with placing chocolate-covered graham crackers in the bags that others brought down the assembly line packaging system, and I was amazed that people of all ages wanted to help. I interacted with toddlers, elementary students, college students, elderly individuals—people of many ethnicities and backgrounds. One of the coolest things was getting to talk to the people who came through the line. Hearing their stories and why they wanted to help out with the project were nice reminders that there truly is a heart of service and compassion in so many people.
Especially during a time where there is so much fighting and hatred in our world, projects like these are needed more than ever. Although most people, including myself, did not get to see the end result of the incarcerated individuals receiving their Christmas bags, each and every person that showed up for the preparations still played an important role. Finishing the day and hearing the announcement that thousands of bags had been packed was a great feeling.
Everyone deserves to feel loved on Christmas, regardless of whether or not they are in prison. I am grateful that I was able to play a small role in sharing that love with people who need it.
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