300+ Westminster Freshmen, Faculty & Staff to Help the Community During  Annual “Helping Hands Day”

Westminster’s Class of 2013 to participate in 20+ community service projects across the city

Contact: Krista DeAngelis (801) 832-2682
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 21, 2009


SALT LAKE CITY– As part of the college’s annual Helping Hands Day, the Westminster community will participate in more than 20 community service projects throughout the city from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009. From the Tracy Aviary to Big Brothers Big Sisters, more than 300 Westminster freshmen, faculty and staff will take part in volunteer events that will help acquaint incoming students with their new campus, as well as our urban and natural environments.

Media members are invited to attend and cover Helping Hands Day. Please contact Krista DeAngelis at (801) 505-3213 for additional details and specific organizational contact information.

Helping Hands Day is designed to introduce new students to the educational values of community service such as developing collaboration and leadership skills, and personal benefits such as acquiring a sense that they can contribute to the well being of their community.

“One of Westminster’s college-wide learning goals is social responsibility,” said Gary Daynes, associate provost for Integrative Learning. “The evidence shows that events like Helping Hands Day help students learn better and become more engaged during their college years. Civic engagement activities also encourage students to lead lives of service long after they graduate.”

Helping Hands Day relies on partnerships with community organizations. Some of the organizations co-sponsoring projects include:

• · The Children’s Center
• · No More Homeless Pets in Utah
• · SUWA
• · Brolly Arts
• · Great Salt Lake Audubon
• · Utah Open Lands in Hidden Hollow
• · Great Salt Lake Audubon
• · Yuppie Puppie/TenderHeart Techs Pet Alliance
• · Hawthorne Elementary School
• · The Inclusion Center
• · Sugar House Boys and Girls Club
• · Utah AIDS Foundation
• · Tracy Aviary
• · Big Brothers Big Sisters
• · The Sharing Place
• · The Hope Alliance

This event also ties into the college’s annual “Common Ground” theme, which focuses this year on the “Mountains.” Common Ground is the college’s annual place-based theme that includes a common read and a multitude of activities, lectures, and events in and out of the classroom. This year’s common read was Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, a book about one man’s mission to promote peace and the power of the humanitarian spirit by building schools in the mountainous regions of the developing world.

About Westminster:
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC or WestminsterPR on Twitter.