Sophomore Heather Amos, left, and junior Bianca Buscher helped remove a shed Feb. 28 at the Centre County Women's Resource Center in State College. The Gamma Sigma Sigma sisters were also painting and cleaning at the building as part of the State Day of Service, a day of student community service in conjunction with Thaw. Credit: Bill Zimmerman / Penn State. Creative Commons
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The warm hearts of Penn Staters aided the thaw this weekend with 659 students lending a hand at 34 locations.
The Council of LionHearts mobilized students to give roughly 1,450 hours Feb. 28 for the fifth State Day of Service on campus, in downtown State College and in the surrounding area.
State Day of Service was a part of the inaugural Thaw Festival which featured a lineup of programming boasting comedians, bands, independent films and TEDxPSU.
Junior Clay Hofmockel, left, and sophomore Mike Regan served up hot cocoa and gave out free Thaw shirts Feb. 28 outside of the State Theatre. The students represented the Penn State Habitat for Humanity Club. Credit: Bill Zimmerman / Penn State. Creative Commons
Projects included painting walls inside of the Centre County Women’s Resource Center, picking up litter downtown, sorting donations at The Mommy Shoppe and organizing inventory at the Lion’s Pantry. Students also volunteered at the Thaw 5-K race, were ushers at Thaw events and ran warming stations where festival goers could get free hot chocolate.
"We are so grateful for all the volunteers who gave their time on Saturday to volunteer with us, helping to make this year the largest State Day of Service event ever,” said Matt Barone, program director for service in Student Activities. “However, the best part of the event is not just the number, or seeing our students volunteer side by side with community members, but to hear the calls from service sites saying how they could never have completed the task without the help of our volunteers."
Established in 2004, the Council of LionHearts is comprised of student representatives from Penn State’s most active volunteer and community service student organizations.
For State Day of Service, the Council of LionHearts partners with Student Activities, the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council and the borough of State College to create service opportunities for students and community members.
Senior Allie Long painted a room Feb. 28 at the Centre County Women's Resource Center in State College. The Gamma Sigma Sigma sisters were painting and cleaning at the building as part of the State Day of Service. Credit: Bill Zimmerman / Penn State. Creative Commons