Wright State Alumni Service Day 2018 draws more than 150 volunteers

Wright State alumni and guests dedicated almost 500 service hours to make a difference in the lives of others during Alumni Service Day.

They gave up a Saturday morning to volunteer at The Foodbank, Hospice of Dayton, Habitat for Humanity and eight other important local nonprofit organizations.

More than 150 Wright State University alumni and their guests showed up Nov. 10 for a full morning of community service, a longstanding tradition.

“We plan hundreds of events per year, but this one is incredibly special because the generosity of heart and soul that comes from people who volunteer their time,” said Greg Scharer, executive director of the Office of Alumni Relations. “In one day, our alumni and their guests dedicated almost 500 service hours to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable and deserving community members.”

In addition to The Foodbank, Hospice and Habitat, other organizations benefiting from the volunteers included Clothes that Work, the Ronald McDonald House, Crayons to Classrooms, Hannah’s Treasure Chest, the SICSA Pet Adoption Center, Project READ, the WPAFB USO Center and United Rehabilitation Services.

The volunteers did everything from sorting food, clothing and book donations to creating holiday tray decorations for hospice patients and families. They also prepared meals for Ronald McDonald families and cleaned dog kennels for SICSA.

Alumni volunteered for community service at 11 local nonprofit organizations including Project READ, where they packed books for distribution throughout the community.

At The Foodbank, the volunteers prepared more than 1,000 boxes and bags of food, including 612 bags of sausage breakfast sandwiches. At Project READ, they packed 4,165 books into 54 boxes for distribution throughout the community.

“We take for granted the daily good these nonprofits do by lightening the burden of others,” said Scharer. “This was one day where we could collectively help carry that burden.”

The volunteers were given free Wright State Alumni throw-back T-shirts and offered an appreciation lunch for their efforts.