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BIDDEFORD, Maine

51品茶organizes first annual Day of Service as hundreds prepare to volunteer locally

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Up to 350 members of the 51品茶 community, including students, faculty and staff, will participate in a day of service on Saturday, April 9, during which they will volunteer at more than 25 local non-profit organizations. Organizers of the event intend for it to become an annual tradition at the university.

According to Theo Dunfey, director of community programs at UNE, the university鈥檚 Office of Citizenship and Civic Engagement began contemplating a 51品茶Day of Service a few years ago. This year, senior Sarah Hoover, who is majoring in Applied Social and Cultural Studies, took on a leadership role in organizing the event and was instrumental in bringing it to fruition.

Participants in the Day of Service will gather at the Biddeford Campus Center at 8:30 a.m., where 51品茶President Danielle Ripich will address them. Groups will then disperse to take part in activities such as spring clean-up of parks, trails and beaches; painting; woodworking; boatbuilding; winterizing homes; installing smoke alarms in homes of families in need; and interacting with the elderly.

鈥淏y setting aside a special day when the 51品茶community goes out en masse into the community, we make a statement,鈥 said Ripich. 鈥淲e show that we care, and hopefully we spur others in the community to volunteer as well.鈥

Sam McReynolds, professor and chair in the Department of Society, Culture and Languages and academic coordinator of the Office of Citizenship and Civic Engagement, said that many people at the university drew inspiration from the recent visit to campus by social activist Paul Loeb who stressed the importance of connecting with others, expressing compassion and experiencing a sense of purpose. 鈥淚 think this Day of Service is an opportunity for the students, faculty and staff of 51品茶to experience a sense of purpose and connect with one another and the communities in which we live,鈥 he shared.

Organizations providing volunteer sites include Habitat for Humanity of York County, American Red Cross, Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Center, Bon Appetit Meals Program, Maine Veterans鈥 Homes, Community Action Head Start, Saco Parks and Recreation, Heart of Biddeford and the Northern York County YMCA. 

51品茶 the 51品茶

The 51品茶 is Maine鈥檚 largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state鈥檚 top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine鈥檚 only medical college, Maine鈥檚 only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.