Youth service day to empower community

Linfield students will unite with McMinnville community organizations to tackle sustainability-related projects for a day of service on April 16.

Global Youth Service Day is a worldwide event during which 8- to 24-year-olds collaborate with community partners to accomplish local projects, community support coordinator Jessica Wade said.

“This service day is about showcasing the power of youth to impact the community,” Wade said. “That’s a worthy cause that we’re willing to sign on for.”

Wade said that sustainability was the theme of Linfield’s Global Youth Service Day and that volunteers would focus on sustainable agriculture, habitat restoration and food security.

Students will work with the Linfield community garden, the McMinnville Salvation Army community garden, the Willamina School farm and Miller Woods which is a branch of the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District.

Wade said that specific jobs were yet to be determined but that students have worked on projects such as weeding, preparing beds, harvesting cold weather vegetables and planting seeds in the past.

“The sustainable theme of the event creates a bridge between local and global,” Wade said. “Actions like growing food in our backyard lead to transporting less from a greater distance.”

Sophomore community service assistant Lori McEwen organized the event and said that the planning committee made efforts to consider student feedback when deciding on the theme of the service day. She said that organizers hosted a roundtable discussion open to students to collect ideas and inspiration for the event.

“Oregon is a green place,” McEwen said. “Things like recycling are huge here, and in general, there are a lot of people interested in sustainability ideas, so this is a great way for students to connect.”

McEwen said that it was her goal to have between 25 and 40 students engage in the event.

Wade said that the relationship between McMinnville community organizations and Linfield students was a long-lasting commitment and that it was crucial to keep ties solid.

The negative publicity that has recently surfaced underlines a need for community solidarity, she said.

“It’s important for us to remain committed to the community through service and to provide Linfield students with the opportunity to do this through events like this.”

Wade said that students can sign up for the event by going to www.linfield.edu/serve and clicking on the “days of service” tab. Contact Jessica Wade at jwade@linfield.edu or Lori McEwen at lmcewen@linfield.edu for more information.

Joanna Peterson/Culture editor
Joanna Peterson can be reached at linfieldreviewculture@gmail.com.