Lake-Sumter State College faculty and staff, alongside students, gave back to the local community on Friday, October 18 in the second annual Lakehawk Service Day.
In total, the LSSC community donated over 1,000 hours of community service on Friday to 22 projects across Lake and Sumter Counties.
“We hope this day will ignite fervor for service across our community,” says Toni Upchurch, public speaking & journalism instructor and chair of LSSC’s community outreach committee.
In Wildwood, volunteers assisted Wildwood Elementary School with hosting their Accelerated Reading (AR) Rewards Day with activities for students meeting their reading goals.
Volunteers on LSSC’s Sumter Center sewed patriotic quilts for veterans in Cornerstone Hospice’s SALUTES! program.
Several projects in Eustis and Mount Dora involved mulching, weeding, planting, and trail work at locations including Trout Nature Center, Triangle Elementary School, and the Nunan Butterfly Garden at the W.T. Bland Library.
In Clermont, volunteers assisted local animal rescues with cleaning and other maintenance tasks that are difficult to accomplish on a limited staff.
“We believe that community service is an excellent opportunity to not only make a difference in the community, but also provide personal and professional development to employees,” said Dr. Stanley Sidor, president of LSSC. “I would like to thank Toni and the community outreach committee for their leadership and hard work that made this day of service possible.”
LSSC volunteers assisted the following organizations:
- Community Foundation of South Lake
- Cornerstone Hospice
- Dream Acres for Autism
- Dream Catchers Horse Ranch and Rescue
- Early Learning Coalition of Lake County
- FAITH Neighborhood Center
- Families in Transition
- Habitat for Humanity, Eustis
- Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties
- Houndhaven, Inc.
- LSSC Children’s Theater
- Misfits Animal Hospital
- New Beginnings
- New Vision for Independence
- Ruth House Women’s Recovery
- St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
- Tavares Community Theater
- Triangle Elementary
- Trout Nature Center
- United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties
- W.T. Bland Library
- Wildwood Elementary School