Lincoln’s Union College Holds 41st Annual “Day of Service”

(KFOR NEWS September 8, 2022) Today (9/8/22), Union College will skip classes to serve Lincoln for the 41st annual Project Impact. The longest-running collegiate service day in the country, Project Impact is a day where more than 600 students and employees will serve nearly 30 sites around Lincoln including Bennett Martin Public Library, Capital Humane Society, Center for People in Need, and more.

More than 80% of the campus population at Union College volunteers at the start of each school year and serves nearly 30 Lincoln organizations to help them prepare for another year of service. Project Impact’s mission is to create opportunities for Union students to connect with Lincoln service agencies, leading to long-term volunteer experiences.
Project Impact history
The annual volunteer day began in 1981 as an initiative to paint the homes of elderly and disabled residents of the Lincoln community. After completing Project BRUSH (Brightening Residences Using Student Help) by painting over 100 homes in 10 years, Project Impact now focuses on serving community organizations that serve the community all year long.
Impacting students
For 40 years, the primary goal of Project Impact has always been to produce change in Union students’ lives. At Union, learning to be an active part of the community is as important as learning in the classroom. Volunteering is an effective method for students to become contributing members of the community as they see the impact their work has on other people.
Impacting Lincoln
While it is difficult to quantify the effects Project Impact has had on the city of Lincoln, an estimated 24,000 volunteers have worn the signature Project Impact t-shirts while contributing more than 140,000 volunteer hours over 40 years. Volunteers mainly contribute hours to complete tasks that agencies do not have time to accomplish, such as dusting, raking, mopping, washing, filing, organizing, shoveling, painting, building and any other requested tasks.

40-year Project Impact totals:

140,000 hours of volunteer service donated by Union College students and staff
24,000 students and staff have participated
More than 75 agencies served

This year’s volunteer projects include working with young children, serving meals to those in need, gardening and weeding, deep cleaning various buildings, sorting through clothes and filing documents.

Sample of organizations benefiting this year during Project Impact:
(29 sites total)

Center for People in Need — food packing and distribution, preparing for an event (3901 N. 27th St.)
Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach — gardening and serving food.
(2121 N 27th St.)
Shepherd’s Rest Goat and Sheep Rescue — cleaning barns (425 W Cedar Road, Pickrell)
Capital Humane Society — painting and yard work (2320 Park Blvd.)
People’s City Mission Help Center —Organizing donations (6800 P St.)
Bennett Martin Public Library — cleaning furniture, bookcases, and shelves (136 S. 14th St.)