Helping Out in Their ‘New Home Town’

The recently held Welcome Days were a very busy time for new Keene State students. The new Owls had the opportunity to connect and learn a little about what it means to be a part of the College’s academic and residential community, and also what it means to be good neighbors by taking part in the inaugural New Community Service Day Sept. 1.

“We’re helping them grow and learn and think a little bit about the ways they might be able to connect service throughout their journey at Keene State,” said Jessica Gagne Cloutier, the Coordinator of Community Service at the College.

Finding service-related work for 1,000 students, 45 orientation leaders, and volunteer faculty and staff members can be a daunting task, but Gagne Cloutier and her staff were up to the challenge, sending students to a large and broad group of receptive community partners, including Bo-Riggs Cattle Farm in Sullivan and the central fire station in downtown Keene, where students got to meet Fire Chief Mark Howard, tour the facility, and wash the fire engines.

Through tasks that ranged from packing meals for an international stop hunger program to picking weeds out of a tomato patch, the new students, wearing eye-catching neon shirts, were treated to an eye-opening experience.

“I got a lot out of the experience,” said James Rooney of Charlestown, RI, who spent the morning cutting up plastic bags to be made into blankets for a homeless shelter. “I learned that people might not have as much as we do and it’s always good to give back to the community.”

“It’s our campus and it’s my new home now, so it’s nice to be able to help out and keep our place clean,” said Meghan Gavaghan, who gathered trash along the city’s bike path.

Hoping to apply to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Marlboro, MA, native Jason Charbonneau struck a chord with a World War II veteran and his wife while he helped them move to a new apartment at Bentley Commons, an assisted living community in Keene. “It was extremely rewarding,” said Charbonneau. “Any time I can talk to veterans and help and give back and thank them for their service is something amazing. They came from an age of heroes.”

Many of the students, including Kelly Dellovo, were inspired to do additional community service. The biology major from Amherst, NH, plans on volunteering at the Cheshire Medical Center this semester.

Gagne Cloutier said that community service work can also give new students ideas about internships or part-time jobs down the road. “It’s never too early to plant the seed and get students thinking about their future plans,” she said. “We’ve really tried to give the students the broad spectrum of different populations and spaces and different types of service.”