Start Your Semester with Service

First-year students at St. John Fisher College have the opportunity to engage in community service projects before they even step on campus, thanks to a new initiative from the Office of Campus Ministry.

Scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 10 in Syracuse, Saturday, Aug. 17 in Buffalo, and Sunday, Aug. 18 in Rochester, Service Days invite new students to participate in community-building activities while giving back to their hometowns. The activities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include lunch.

“All incoming students are welcome. People of any or no faith can join together for a few hours to make new friends and get introduced to Fisher’s culture of service,” said Fr. Kevin Mannara, CSB, director of campus ministry.

At all three sites, new students will join current peer ministers. In Syracuse, they will work with members of the Holy Family Parish to visit Mathew 25 Farm, an organization that provides food to shelters, soup kitchens, and non-profit agencies. Teaming up with St. Amelia’s in Tonawanda, Buffalo students will paint walls, rip up carpets, and complete various tasks to help the Community Missions of the Niagara Front. In Rochester, students will work at the House of Mercy, a homeless shelter and advocacy center, and will serve in the EMMA and Beechwood Neighborhood at St. Marks and St. John Episcopal Church.

To register for a Service Day, visit go.sjfc.edu/summerservice. With questions, email campusministry@sjfc.edu.