Union University gives back during annual Campus and Community Day
JACKSON, Tenn. — One local university is celebrating their homecoming week by giving back to local communities around the Hub City.
“Today is a big day at RIFA, we have around 85 to 100 UU serving students who are here with us today. I believe it’s their campus and community day is what they call it. It’s a time for those students to go out and serve in the community and we’re so grateful that so many choose to be apart of the work here at RIFA with us each year,” said Denice Walton, director of development for RIFA.
This is an annual day for Union University students, staff and faculty to remember, show gratitude and service. Students have the entire day of no classes and their only task is to help across the Jackson community.
“I just enjoy to see everyone come out and work together and volunteer in the community. I know that Union is a Christian school and so I think that we do this because we just value helping out with the community,” said Maya Jeanes, student at Union University.
Service project options were at local schools, nonprofit organizations, churches, parks and other serving projects across Jackson.
“I’m just really happy to be here and do this this year. I didn’t expect it to be so fun like our task are really simple but it’s kind of fulling because you know that its for a good cause,” said Jeanes.
At RIFA, members of Kappa Delta Sorority, men’s basketball team, and other students helped work throughout the warehouse. Some tasks were assisting in the soup kitchen, the donation center and assembling hunger free holiday bags and more.
“We have some students who are packing some snack backpacks for our students in Jackson here who receive those on Friday. We have a standard crew that comes in pretty much every Tuesday and so they work alongside union students and talk about the snack backpack program here,” said Walton.
This was also an opportunity to learn that RIFA does more than accept donation from members of the community.
“Something that I didn’t think about is just kind of like the behind the scenes work that you have to put in order to help out with the community. I mostly thought about the can food drive and so I didn’t realize all of the little behind the scenes things that you have to do,” said Jeanes.
The homecoming court will be announced at halftime on Friday during the women’s basketball game. The homecoming cup winner will be announced at halftime on Saturday during the men’s basketball game.
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