On Tuesday Nov. 3, Union’s students, faculty and staff participated in the annual Campus and Community Day to serve the surrounding Jackson area.
Campus and Community Day is a time to give back to the Jackson community who served the university in a season of recovery and rebuilding in the aftermath of the 2008 tornado. Union cancels classes and sets aside this day to serve different community organizations in whatever capacity they may need. It allows the school to live out the Christ-centered and people-focused core values.
“It is so important to be in the Jackson community, and I think that goes beyond one day,” said Lydia Cyrus, a junior social work major and member of the Serve Team. “Being involved in Jackson, knowing Jackson and getting outside of the Union ‘bubble’ is really important. You’re not necessarily living at Union for four years as much as you are living in Jackson for four years, so I want to encourage other people to invest in the Jackson community.”
Cyrus had the opportunity to serve with her team at Keep My Hood Good and partnered with their community garden event. In past years, the Serve Team stayed on campus to be a point of contact the entire day, but this year Cyrus and the team organized their own service project.
“This year is especially important because the organizations in our community are still meeting very real needs despite the unique nature of the year,” said Emily Shoemaker, the coordinator for service and events in the Office of University Ministries. “This was our way of thanking them for the great work they do for the people of Jackson.”
Because of COVID-19, all who participated wore masks and practiced social distancing. This also affected the capacity of people who could go on each service team and more projects were moved outside to maintain social distancing.
Despite the challenges this season presents, Union remains committed to serving the Jackson community well.
“We need to remember that this is the community that gave back to us when we needed it, and we should be giving back to it just as much,” Cyrus said. “It is biblical to say wherever God places you, that is your mission field, so if you are going to be in Jackson for four years, that is where you should be serving.”
