Last Saturday, TWU’s 16th annual Fall Workday saw over 400 students volunteer some 1500 hours of service toward 70 different projects in the Langley community. TWU students raked leaves, gardened, cleaned windows and gutters, painted, and cleaned for local families, agencies, churches, and individuals in need of a helping hand.
The opportunity came at the right time for Langley resident L. J., a single mom of two sons, aged 10 and 13. Health issues had prevented her from mowing the lawn of her rental property. When she saw the Fall Workday flyer in her local church bulletin, she phoned and registered for help. “When you’re on a very limited income, you can’t really afford to pay someone to mow your yard,” she said.
Four TWU students, including second-year science major Lindsay Hansen, showed up at L. J.’s home on Saturday. “Fall Workday exposes students to real needs in our community,” said Hansen. “It encourages them to engage in, and become more actively involved in, the lives of others.”
Fall Workday coordinator Chett Fitchett said the event embodies the heart of service that is core to the University and its students. “These are not just service projects, but real people with real needs,” he said. “I know that the impact students have made will stretch far beyond raked leaves, painted fences, and cleaned gutters.”
In addition to Fall Workday, TWU has 13 weekly student outreach teams, with over 200 students serving the homeless, the elderly, youth, children and many other families and individuals in the community. New this year is a men's ministry at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre. “TWU students have a heart to serve and transform the world around them for the better,” Fitchett said.
For L. J., it wasn’t just an opportunity to receive, but also to give—when the students finished mowing her lawn, she invited them in for tea and cookies. As they left, she gave each of them a hug. “This has been an amazing example of community,” she said.
Click here to see more Fall Workday photos.