What’s Good: Goshen College students lending a helping hand

Updated: Sep. 22, 2021 at 5:45 PM EDT
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

GOSHEN, Ind. (WNDU) - Community service is ‘What’s Good’ at Goshen College.

They’re sharing that passion with organizations that give back in Elkhart County during their 22nd annual Community Engagement Day.

16 News Now introduces us to some of the volunteering students who say helping others is all part of the Goshen College experience.

This is where some of the first-year students at Goshen College are getting an early lesson in something that’s easier to learn outside the classroom, community service.

“Part of the focus is engaging with our community to help us define what our identity is. So, I think part of it is to get to know the people around you because they define a lot of who you are and they can affect what you do with your life and what passions you have,” said Goshen College first-year student Naomi Klassen.

Here at Soup for Success in Elkhart, Naomi and her classmates are getting the garden ready to grow ingredients for meals that will feed people facing food insecurity.

“When they’re able to come out and volunteer, it’s a different level of commitment, and it opens peoples’ eyes to the poverty in the community, the food insecurity in the community, and they can get their hands dirty and do that,” said Seed to Feed director Gabby Parish.

Another group of students closer to campus is helping make improvements to this home while working with La Casa Inc.

You’d actually find students and faculty helping out all across town at these other organizations in Goshen.

“It’s really neat, especially to be able to do it year to year and see all the different places that we’ve been and where the students have gone to work,” said Goshen College faculty member Mike McHugh.

Even though they’re not getting graded, these students have their own reasons for giving an A+ effort.

“Goshen is a great community and they support the college a lot. So we think giving back the way they give to us is a good thing to do,” said Goshen College first-year student Seth Kauffman.

Now that’s worthy of some extra credit.

Anyone who’s gone to Goshen College in the last 20 probably has fond memories of Community Engagement Day.

All first-year students were actually excused from their other classes so they can participate the annual day of giving.

Copyright 2021 WNDU. All rights reserved.