26 Throughout each school year, Bethel College sends students out into the community to serve their neighbors. Many students participate in the mandatory Service Days through Service Learning two or three times a year. However, other service opportunities are available for students to serve the community on a more regular basis. One such project is through the Dorm Match program. Each dorm on campus pairs with an organization in the community to serve them for the year. Dorm Match provides, “Something that students can get involved with through the span of the year to form relationships,” said Director of Service Learning Janelle Crotser. Tuckey partners with Feed the Children in Elkhart, Ind. In Sept., 26 girls from the dorm ventured in the rain on an early Saturday morning to serve at the organization. The girls stood along the food assembly line and packed 726 boxes full of canned and non-perishable food items. These specific boxes will be sent out to families in need in the Mishawaka area. All dorms serve their paired organizations once a month. Dorm Match is geared toward students within the dorm, but is open to commuters and faculty members. “I would love to see more involvement from faculty and staff, for sure!” said Crotser. Information on Dorm Match events is available in each dorm, through dorm RAs and RDs, or through the Service Learning office in AC 214. Serving your dorm match organization is a way freshmen and transfer students can fill community service hours. Service Learning promotes student service because of the mandate of the Great Commission. The program strives to teach “students how to connect the idea of service with learning in and outside the classroom,” said Crotser. “It is what God calls us to do.” No negative opinions or drawbacks have been posed by the organizations Bethel partners with. The only setback Service Learning has come across is a lack of ambition and involvement from the students. Student’s lives are busy and some find it hard to break out of their routine and serve the community around them. If anyone is interested in serving with their dorm or another dorm, listed below are the organizations the dorms are paired with for the 2010-11 school year: Tuckey- Feed the Children Manges/Eastwood - Real Services Founders’ Women - Corvilla Founders’ Men - Hope ministries Perimeter Women - Hannah’s house Perimeter Men- Center for the Homeless Lodge - Logan Center Shupe - Healthwin Oakwood/Slatter - Habitat for Humanity
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