The George Washington University has little more than 26,000 service hours to go before securing Michelle Obama as its Commencement speaker on May 16. As of Feb. 18, the university community has logged 73,958 service hours, nearing the total challenge of 100,000 hours set by Mrs. Obama in September.
GW community members who have completed service but have not yet reported their hours can do so at http://serve.gwu.edu. All hours must be logged in by May 1.
GW students showed their dedication to service in early February when a record-breaking snowstorm blanketed the District. On Feb. 11, 41 GW students grabbed shovels and lent a hand to their snowed-in neighbors in an effort dubbed the “Foggy Bottom Dig Out.” Students cleared paths and sidewalks in front of local homes and the GW Hospital, shoveled out cars and helped shop for elderly residents, logging more than 80 service hours.
“We shoveled alleyways and cut through the ice that had formed on sidewalks, which was becoming a hazard for many of the elderly residents,” says Alison McDougal, vice president of community affairs for the GW Student Association, which sponsored the initiative.
According to Ms. McDougal, grateful residents offered students “everything from water to pancake dinners,” and the Student Association received numerous e-mails from residents thanking students for their help. “It is a unique group that will offer its free time on a snow day to help out the community and serve our neighbors,” she says. “It really says a lot about the kindness and selflessness of GW students.”
A wide range of other student groups are contributing significantly toward George Washington’s service goal. The GW Kappa chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma has participated in numerous service events including the Capital Area National Kidney Foundation Walk, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and a Blood Drive for the American Red Cross. Members have also volunteered at “Kids Enjoy Exercise Now,” a nonprofit which provides recreational opportunities for children and young adults with disabilities, and the D.C. Central Kitchen, and in total have logged 1,193 service hours.
The sorority’s future service projects include a “Pancakes for Parkinson’s” breakfast on Feb. 28 in the Marvin Center to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the chapter’s annual Rock-a-Thon on March 28 to benefit the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation, which raises awareness for kidney disease.
“I believe, as a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma, that a person can only truly lead by serving others” says Phi Sigma Sigma Philanthropy Chairperson Catherine Zatorski. “As Gandhi once said, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’”
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