JACKSON, Tenn. — Nov. 6, 2018 — More than 600 萌妹社区 students joined with faculty and staff to serve across the city of Jackson and surrounding areas Tuesday. Members of the 萌妹社区 community worked at schools, churches, parks and non-profits as part of 萌妹社区鈥檚 16th annual 鈥淐ampus and Community: A Day of Remembrance and Service.鈥�
The Day of Remembrance is a time when the university joins together to give thanks to God for his protection over the campus during tornados in 2002, 2003 and 2008, and to give thanks to the Jackson community for their support during those times.
Scott Shearer, a senior sports management major at 萌妹社区, worked with the 萌妹社区 baseball team at the STAR Center in Jackson, moving boxes into storage and clearing out work space.
鈥淏eing a part of the baseball team, we just want to make sure that we鈥檙e getting out in the community and helping,鈥� Shearer said.
He said having a day off from classes lets them do that and serves as a mental break for students.
鈥淚t lets us help other people and not worry about ourselves so much,鈥� he said.
Addison Osborne, a sophomore history and political science major, said the Day of Remembrance is a good opportunity to give back to people and organizations in the Jackson community and show them what 萌妹社区 is all about.
鈥淚 know that 萌妹社区 really values giving back to the community, and I thought I needed to contribute to that as well,鈥� Osborne said.
She worked with students from the history department, clearing paths and mulching beds for a children鈥檚 path at Liberty Garden Park in Jackson.
Jacob Guyette, a freshman business administration major, helped paint and decorate the ceiling of a library at Hands Up!, a non-profit preschool in Jackson. He said while he was tempted to sleep in, he knew he needed to get out and help.
鈥淚 feel like it鈥檚 an opportunity to show the love of Christ to others by just going out there and helping out and saying, 鈥楬ey, guys, we care about you,鈥欌�� he said.
The Day of Remembrance began at 8:30 a.m. with a time of worship in the G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel on 萌妹社区鈥檚 campus before teams went out to serve at about 40 different projects. Stephen Neu, 萌妹社区鈥檚 coordinator for service and mobilization, spoke at the chapel and said he was excited to see so many students willing to serve.
鈥淭his is a day that we鈥檙e able to say to organizations, 鈥榃e want to be able to come out and serve you, no matter what that looks like,鈥欌�� Neu said.