Dept. Twp. – In recognition of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) will honor those who lost their lives and recognize the spirit of service that continues to bring communities together through RCSJ Serves: A College-Wide Week of Service, Sept. 8–11 on the Gloucester and Cumberland campuses.
RCSJ Serves kicked off on Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. at the Gloucester campus, where RCSJ President, Brenden Rickards, thanked students, staff, faculty, and nonprofit partners for dedicating their time to their communities.
"RCSJ Serves reflects who we are as a College and as a community. In honoring the 25th anniversary of September 11, we are reminded of the strength that comes from coming together, supporting one another, and serving others. Through this week of service, our students, faculty, and staff are putting compassion into action and demonstrating that even small acts of kindness can make a lasting difference in the lives of others and throughout our communities," Rickards said.
The Week of Service marked a first-time cross-collaboration between RCSJ, RCSJ Foundation, Volunteer Centers of South Jersey (VCSJ), Jersey Cares, and AmeriCorps. RCSJ Serves also received support by a grant from 9/11 Day.
Week of Service projects in collaboration with nonprofit partners included:
To get involved with service projects, participants could register online or walk-in volunteer by signing up at the non-profit tables. Service projects varied based on date and campus location.
Dr. Kellie W. Slade, executive director, Student Services, RCSJ, ran the Veterans Freedom Blankets project, where volunteers made no-sew red and blue fleece blankets for the residents of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Vineland.
Slade shared, "Because it [RCSJ Serves] is a 9/11 memoriam honoring service men and women, we thought freedom blankets would be the most appropriate way to say thank you to our veterans and remind them that we appreciate them, who they are, what they fought for, and for our freedoms."
She continued, "Students getting involved for the reward of doing something for others is a great way to not only provide service, but to reap the meaningful reward behind it."
RCSJ student, Tania M., volunteered with her classmates for the Flower Power Rock Painting project. The rocks painted for Flower Power, Inc. will be donated to the Seeds of Hope Garden at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, bringing encouragement, comfort, and inspiration to patients and families facing cancer.
Tania shared, "I think it's really important to be involved in uplifting the community, especially when it comes to people going through difficult situations."
Throughout RCSJ Serves, there were many instances of classmates volunteering together. RCSJ students and friends, Cooper D. and Joe H., explained why they felt the need to get involved.
"Volunteering felt like the right thing to do," said Cooper. "Just giving back to the community."
"Yeah," Joe added. "Giving back to the community is important to me."
Michele Francesconi, vice president, Capacity Building, Training & Strategic Initiatives, VCSJ, spoke to community members about carrying forward the ideals of service, compassion, and unity, even after the week-long event.
"RCSJ Serves really isn't about four days in September. Our hope is that it becomes something much bigger – a culture of service at RCSJ where students, faculty, staff, nonprofits, and our surrounding communities are connected throughout the year," he said.
For more information about how to volunteer in your community, visit RCSJ.edu/VCSJ.
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