The Class of 2020 Gives Back to the LA Community on Freshman Service Day

With the fall semester in full swing, the freshman class had the opportunity today to step back, take a brief respite from their studies, and gain a broader perspective through contributing to the community at large. Freshman Day of Service, an annual tradition devoted to learning about and contributing to some of LA’s most inspiring non-profit organizations, brings the class together through giving back. 

Marymount’s newest class of Sailor Sisters was first introduced to the concept of service learning during retreat week, when they visited A Place Called Home. Community service will continue to be a core tenant of their Marymount education throughout their years here. Today’s service site visits built on what the students learned during retreat week, enabling them to have a direct impact on organizations making a significant impact for underserved populations throughout LA.
 
Rebecca Bostic, Marymount’s Theology Department Chair and Spiritual Life Coordinator, remarked that the Day of Service is “an important time for bonding among the Freshman class and the faculty they will work with during their time at Marymount. It provides an opportunity to engage our girls in our larger LA community and helps them begin to understand how they, as Sailor Sisters, can make a difference here in our city.” 
 
The 123 students were assigned to five different service sites throughout the LA region: A Place Called Home (APCH), Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, St. Robert’s Center, The Jeffrey Foundation, and Ronald McDonald House. Each group toured the facilities where they would be helping out, met with program coordinators to learn more about the organization, and devoted the day to a range of volunteering tasks from helping prepare meals, decorating facilities for Halloween, cleaning, and organizing.
 
The day also focused on class bonding. Girls were grouped with new friends and a mixture of familiar and less well-known faces, giving them the chance to get to know one another better through the fun, active and eye-opening service work.

Overall, the day was a huge success, and the students gained just as much from the organizations as they gave back. The 2020 class of Sailor Sisters came away with a new appreciation for the work these amazing organizations do, as well as the motivation and inspiration to continue to volunteer and engage in service throughout their future at Marymount and beyond. 
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