Demonstrating that human beings can make a difference in the world in which they live, Northwood University Florida students contributed a total of 2,116 volunteer hours within the 2013-2014 academic year.
The group, which consisted of over 277 students, joined together to participate in activities such as the Solid Waste Authority’s Paint Your Heart Out program which uses recycled paint to refurbish the homes of elderly and disabled residents, cleaning up area lake fronts and beaches in conjunction with “Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful” a local and national coastal clean-up program, and participating in Habitat for Humanity projects in order to assure those in need are provided decent, safe and affordable housing.
Seahawk students regularly volunteer for a number of ongoing activities such as assisting Locks of Love, a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair loss, volunteering for the local Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, promoting area blood drives, and more.
In addition to the enrichment received from helping others, Northwood students are awarded EXCEL credit for volunteer and cultural diversity activities. Noted on each student’s student development transcript, which is issued along with their academic transcript, EXCEL credit is of value to prospective employers because it highlights the meaningful contributions Northwood University students make beyond the classroom.
“As we work toward exemplifying Northwood University’s mission and values, assisting in the community becomes even more meaningful,” said Carol Wagmeister, Student Services Assistant and EXCEL Program Director. “It’s great to see students experience the reward that comes from lending a hand,” she said.
With Northwood University system-wide volunteer hours totaling over 5,740 for the 2013-2014 academic year, the effort breaks down to 639 volunteer hours per month, 160 volunteer hours per week and 23 hours per day.
