HRD Rewind: St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service
On Saturday September 19, VUSHRM, Villanova’s student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, joined over 4,000 Villanovans for the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service. This annual Villanova tradition gathers students, faculty, staff and family members for service projects in the Greater Philadelphia Area, from making sandwiches to raking leaves. This year, VUSHRM did the latter.
Human Resource Development Graduate Assistants and VUSHRM board members volunteered for grounds maintenance at Holy Trinity School in Morrisville, Pa. For second-year student Alexis Seriana ‘27, it was exciting to recreate their experience from twelve months ago. “Serving the community is one of the most meaningful things we can do in our lifetime. Having attended mission trips and various service opportunities growing up, I sincerely enjoy any opportunity to volunteer and connect with people in the area. I had a wonderful experience this year and would love to join again next year!”
For first-year graduate students Nayanna Fluellen ‘28, Sequoia Hornsby ‘28 and Maddie Miller ‘28, Day of Service was a new experience. “The Villanova's Day of Service gave me the opportunity to connect directly with the Holy Trinity students and teachers while giving back to their school community,” Fluellen said. “Beyond volunteering, I enjoyed getting to know the students, learning more about their experiences and sharing my own experiences as a graduate student at Villanova.”
Sequoia Hornsby ‘28 shared that she was very eager to sign up for Day of Service, saying, “I was so excited to spend the day with my peers helping the community in a physically grounded way. I especially loved that we got the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the children at the school we were helping to clean!”
Maddie Miller ‘28 agreed, agreed, and reflected on the pride she felt being part of this tradition. “I was excited to be a part of something bigger than myself. It was such a great experience getting to know the faculty and students at the Holy Trinity School and to see the extent of this philanthropic effort from the Villanova students. It made me so proud to be a student here.”
HRD Program Director Heather Cluley Bar-Or, PhD, joined her students in landscaping at Holy Trinity, and shared a moment that transported her before service had even begun. Walking from her car to the stadium where volunteers were gathering, Dr. Cluley Bar-Or said, “I passed the longest row of buses you've ever seen in one place. Reading the signs on the buses as I passed, it was inspiring to note that each one was going to a different part of the Greater Philadelphia area to serve different parts of the community. Then in the stadium I found thousands of students all up early on a Saturday to be part of something bigger than themselves and ready to give back. It gives you chills to think of the scope of this community service effort!”
The HRD Corner Blog turned 10 this month! Here’s an excerpt from one of our first posts, and it happens to be about VUSHRM at St. Thomas Villanova Day of Service.
“Over the weekend, the VU SHRM team participated in Villanova's Day of Service 11-year-old tradition. Each year, over 5,000 Villanovans perform service in the surrounding communities. The VU SHRM group spent the day at the Good Samaritan Shelter in Phoenixville, Pa.”
Good Samaritan Shelter is a Christian ministry that provides housing and supportive services for those experiencing homelessness in the local area, including resume reviews and job searches. VUSHRM along with newly minted Director Dr. Gerry Brandon painted residential spaces and cleared out the basement, kitchen, and nearby empty lot.