When launching its “Caring Counts: The Alverno College Volunteer Challenge,” just over a year ago, Alverno College aimed to tally at least 125,000 hours of volunteer service among students, their families, alumni, faculty, staff, the School Sisters of Saint Francis, and anyone connected to the campus community.
The college reached its goal and then some with a total 307,268 hours of volunteer work, according to an announcement made Thursday.
“Service to others has always been at the very heart of our mission,” said Dr. Mary Meehan, president of the college. “Time and again, when the Alverno community is given an opportunity to serve, we respond in ways that exceed even our own expectations. I am deeply humbled by the generosity of the Alverno community.”
The challenge, which helped to celebrate the college’s 125th anniversary, drew more than 1,500 volunteers impacting more than 200 organizations throughout the year.
Among the organizations served was Hunger Task Force. The Alverno campus collected 550 boxes of cereal in a “Knockdown Hunger” drive and 917 cans of mandarin oranges in a separate food drive. Students also funded the donation of 170 Thanksgiving dinners and contributed to the collection of more than 500 pounds of food by taking part in the Northern Athletics Conference’s “Cans Across the Conference” food drive competition.
Other recipient organizations included schools, churches and homeless shelters.
