CONCORD, NH — As part of their mission both to educate students for civic responsibility and to serve as vital community resources, five Manchester colleges and universities are joining together for its second Queen City Colleges Day of Service on April 5. This coordinated approach will bring hundreds of students to nonprofit community agencies in Manchester to provide thousands of hours of needed service work.
Participating in the Day of Service are Manchester Community College, the New Hampshire Institute of Art, Saint Anselm College, Southern New Hampshire University, and the University of New Hampshire at Manchester. All five are members of Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities that work to build civic engagement into campus life through community partnerships and initiatives that serve the public good.
The Day of Service will deploy college students to community organizations that serve area children, adults, and families. Students will perform a wide range of work, from sorting donated items to setting up for special events to sprucing up community sites. Granite United Way will provide assistance by helping students, faculty and staff find meaningful community volunteer opportunities.
One Day of Service; an Ongoing Commitment
The five participating colleges and universities all have well-developed community and public service initiatives––work they view as an essential part of higher education’s role in educating students for social responsibility. The presidents of these institutions all note that this collaboration is just one piece of their deep and ongoing community work.
“Working with community agencies that serve populations in need helps us instill in our students our values of equity, social justice, and inclusive excellence while developing their civic and leadership skills.”
—President Stephen R. DiSalvo, Saint Anselm College
“This unique five-school collaboration is very much in keeping with our institutional focus on building partnerships that address real-world challenges in New Hampshire communities and beyond.”
—President Michele Perkins, New England College, (NHIA)
“We’re pleased to participate in this service event, which highlights our deep ties to the Manchester community as well as our ongoing commitment to connecting students with both local and global service opportunities.”
—President Patricia Lynott, University College, Southern NH University
“As a community-centered institution with a commitment to student leadership, we’re excited by this opportunity to engage students with their community in ways that will benefit all concerned.”
- President Susan Huard, Manchester Community College
“The Queen City Colleges Day of Service is one small piece of our ongoing commitment to advancing public service through student civic learning and community partnerships at the local and global levels.”
—Mike Decelle- Dean of UNH at Manchester
Community Organizations; City-wide Impact
Community organizations participating in the Day of Service include agencies that together support the health and welfare of tens of thousands of area residents.
Families in Transition-New Horizons is one of the largest homeless services organizations in New Hampshire with locations in Manchester, Concord, Dover and Wolfeboro. innovative and effective interventions specifically used to help homeless individuals and families reach beyond the cycle of homelessness to lead healthy and successful lives. Our belief is that having a home is a basic human right and is fundamental to becoming an engaged and contributing member of our community.
Camp Allen is a summer camp that offers a summer camp experience for those who may not be able to attend other camps due to age, ability, accessibility, or behavioral needs. More than 450 campers attend each year, making use of accessible facilities and a 1:2 ratio of counselors to campers.
Neighborworks SNH QC Bike Collective’s mission is to help Manchester area residents ride safe, affordable bikes and have the opportunity to fix them. The collective provides space, tools, and equipment so community members can repair their bicycles at minimal cost. It also accepts donated bicycles and salvages usable parts, either to recycle them or to return them to working order and sell them at an affordable price.
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