College of Wooster Celebrates 10 Years of Scots in Service

Alumni, family, and friends in 27 cities across the country to participate in community-service projects on Oct. 2

WOOSTER, Ohio — City parks, community food banks, and social-service agencies will once again be among the beneficiaries when College of Wooster alumni in 27 cities spread their volunteer spirit across the country in celebration of 10 years of Scots in Service Day on Oct. 2.

Established in 2001, Scots in Service provides opportunities for Wooster alumni, family, friends, and current students to volunteer for projects in their local communities. The program not only carries on the College’s long history of volunteerism, but it also gives alumni an opportunity to renew old acquaintances and develop new relationships at the various project sites.

“We are excited about our 10^th year,” said Sharon Rice, assistant director of alumni relations and program coordinator for Scots in Service. “I remember our initial planning sessions and wondering whether people would continue to participate year after year, but our alumni have proven that they have a real heart for community service, and we are very proud of their commitment.”

From Atlanta, where alumni and friends will sort tools used during Hands-On Atlanta Day and return them to a local tool bank, to Los Angeles, where volunteers will prepare and serve lunches at the Union Station Homeless Shelter, an estimated 1,000 Wooster representatives are expected to participate nationwide.

Elsewhere, Baltimore alumni will package and shelve donations at St. Mary of the Assumption food pantry, while Nashville-area grads will help to repair one of the many homes damaged by flooding in that city this past spring. Also hosting Scots in Service work projects on Oct. 2 are alumni in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Rochester, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

In Ohio, Wooster alumni, family, and friends will volunteer their time at the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Green Corps Farms, the Cincinnati Zoo, and Columbus Linden Park. In addition, more than 50 northeast Ohio alumni will volunteer for the first time at the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank.

Closer to campus, local volunteers have organized an ambitious plan that features projects at 10 different sites, including the Viola Startzman Free Clinic, Wayne Center for the Arts, the Wayne County Humane Society, and several parks throughout the city. “Scots in Service is built on the College’s long history of volunteerism,” said Matt Long, a 2005 graduate and one of two local coordinators. “We are thrilled to partner with some of the great organizations in our community. It’s a great way for us to promote goodwill beyond the campus.”

For additional information or to become a volunteer, please call 330-263-2533.