Recycled Goods Sought for Service Projects at Lebanon Valley College

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ANNVILLE, PA (06/25/2015)(readMedia)-- The Arnold Sports Complex will be alive with service on Sunday, August 30 from 3 – 5 p.m. as Lebanon Valley College's incoming class-more than 400 students-serves with returning student leaders at 15 work stations. The students will make items to be donated to local charities as well as national and international service organizations.

The local community will benefit from the project as holiday cards created during the project are distributed to families staying at Hope Lodge in Hershey throughout the year. Friendship bracelets with rubber athletic charms will be donated for athletes involved in Lebanon County Special Olympics. Large, colorful playhouses will be donated to families who partner with Habitat for Humanity of Lebanon County. The local SPCA will receive 120 kitten blankets and as many braided cloth doggie toys made by students during this time. Lebanon City School District will receive 120 handmade felt puppets.

Donations of the following recycled goods would be greatly appreciated for the project:

• Grocery bags from GIANT grocery store (white with red and black lettering) will be cut into loops and then tied end-to-end to make yarn that will be used to create mats.

• Used shoe boxes will be wrapped in Christmas paper in preparation to be filled with toys and sent to children in Africa, Asia, and Latin America with Operation Christmas Child.

• Clean, used bed sheets will be cut into strips for use as bandages at medical centers in Africa. The College is partnering with the American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) for this project. AFCA's national headquarters are based in Lebanon, Pa.

• Pieces of heavy fabric will be used to make school bags for young students overseas who benefit from the ministries of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Fabric must be denim, corduroy, or heavy curtains material without the imprint of advertisements or religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols.

In addition, select new educational supplies will be distributed to children throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR): blunt-tipped, child-size scissors; hand-held pencil sharpeners at least 1" long; spiral- or top-bound notebooks; 30-centimeter rulers; unsharpened pencils (no camouflage, patriotic, religious or military symbols); erasers which are 2" or longer; and boxes of 24 crayons.

Community members are also encouraged to share contact information of active or retired military personnel or residents of a local retirement community who might appreciate a note from a college student. Please contact Chaplain Paul Fullmer in the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism at 717-867-6135 or fullmer@lvc.edu to provide names.

At the national and international level, students will write letters of encouragement to current military personnel. Friendship bracelets mailed to the Cool Kids Campaign will be distributed to children with cancer. Mats for the homeless will be sent to West Virginia, and bandages will be sent to countries throughout Africa.

As they work, the incoming LVC students will enjoy music provided by a live D.J.

The service projects provide a unique opportunity for incoming LVC students to work together as a class toward a common goal. "Each of the 15 service projects is coordinated for the incoming students by returning students who are heavily involved in service organizations on campus," said LVC's Chaplain Paul Fullmer, who oversees the project. "They'll be connecting with the incoming students during this time and sharing about their service organization."

Throughout the academic year, students will also engage representatives of local service organizations at a service fair and participate in national service initiatives such as Make a Difference Day, MLK Day of Service, and United Way Day of Caring, among other projects. To encourage long-term service, the College has designated funds for a service trip within the United States during spring break and will sponsor a service trip to Peru in May 2016.

Several incentive programs reward students for their service. Bronze, Silver, or Gold Community Service Awards based on the number of hours a student serves the local community are posted on LVC's Job Center Profile for the information of prospective employers. Students who serve the local community are also recognized at an annual banquet and in the Commencement program.

To make a donation, contact Chaplain Fullmer at fullmer@lvc.edu or 717-867-6135. Donations will be collected at Miller Chapel on the LVC campus through Wednesday, August 26.

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For more information about community service at LVC, contact Alison Wenger at 717-867-6034 or LVC's Office of Community Service and Volunteerism at 717-867-6135.

About Lebanon Valley College

Lebanon Valley College is a private, coeducational college founded in 1866 and dedicated to the liberal arts. The College offers 36 undergraduate majors plus self-designed majors and a range of minors, concentrations, and pre-professional options, as well as graduate degree programs in athletic training, business administration, music education, physical therapy, and science education.

The College has 1,573 full-time undergraduate students and 106 full-time faculty. Students can choose from more than 90 clubs and organizations, and 12 study abroad programs. LVC awards generous academic scholarships to those whose high school records demonstrate a commitment to challenge and achievement.