Our Virginia Wesleyan family has been active this season, giving back to the community in a variety of ways.
As I write this, students are camped out on Batten Lawn as part of the VWU Shack-A-Thon,
collecting food and supplies and bringing awareness to the state of
hunger and homelessness in our country. This impressive event was
organized by managers of another extraordinary undertaking—the 2018
Off-Campus Winter Homeless Shelter, which is scheduled for January 10-17.
Thank you to all of the Marlins who are making these and many other
service events possible on our campus. We have an incredibly caring
student body, faculty, and staff at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Compassion comes from all corners of our campus, including, of course, from our friends at Volunteer Hampton Roads,
whose campus offices are located in Allen Village. I am pleased to share that the
organization will hold its annual Family Volunteer Day at VWU this
Saturday, November 18, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
They will facilitate five volunteer projects, including assembly of
disaster relief hygiene kits, Kuranda dog beds, and food packs for Rise
Against Hunger, and the building of birdhouses and planters for Habitat
for Humanity and outdoor seating for shelters. More than 500 volunteers
will complete these projects, benefiting nonprofits in Coastal Virginia
and internationally.
Though we tend to hear more about it during
the holiday season, our Virginia Wesleyan community and friends are
exceptionally generous year round. These events and others speak to a
strong commitment to educate through meaningful service, and they bring
our campus together in partnership to share resources and meet real
community needs. For that, I thank you.
