On Saturday, Oct. 1, more than 330 students turned out to serve the community as part of one of the largest days of service at the University of Miami—National Gandhi Day of Service.
Students arrived in the morning and were assigned to 15 locations throughout South Florida. Some volunteers participated in site cleanup and beautification, while others worked on packaging diapers or feminine hygiene products for lower-income residents. Crafts also were parceled for children in Miami-Dade County hospitals.
The goal of the annual National Gandhi Day of Service is to give back to the community “in the ideals of peace and civic duty advocated by Mahatma Gandhi,” according to the Butler Center for Service and Leadership, sponsor of the event.
“For me, Gandhi Day means a chance to engage with my community alongside peers from different majors, years, and organizations across campus—one U, for one cause,” said Fabrizio Darby, a senior studying biology and health science. Darby serves on the National Gandhi Day of Service executive board.
“Seeing the day return to its pre-COVID attendance and hearing the impactful stories of participants and how they feel motivated to go out and make a difference in our community has filled me with an immense sense of joy and fulfillment,” he added.
More than 330 students arrived on Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Lakeside Patio for their service location assignments.
The executive board of the National Gandhi Day of Service, sponsored by the Butler Center for Service and Leadership, throws up the U before beginning preparations to engage hundreds of students in community service activities.
Students from Planet Kreyol, the Haitian student organization, participated in National Gandhi Day of Service. Students could have participated as individuals or as members of a group.
At the Montgomery Botanical Center, a nonprofit in Coral Gables, students cleared debris from fallen foliage.
Students volunteering at Camillus House, a nonprofit that provides meals and housing to the Miami-Dade County community, prepared hot food for distribution.
Students at Farm Share, a Florida-based nonprofit food bank, packaged and distributed canned goods for the community.
Students assigned to the Miami River Commission location participated in a trash cleanup along the waterfront. The commission is a nonprofit that maintains and supports the improvement of the Miami River District through community engagement.
Students who remained on campus gathered to package feminine hygiene products for lower-income women and create parcels of crafts for children in Miami-Dade County hospitals.
Photos courtesy of the Butler Center for Service and Leadership.
