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K-State Today

November 14, 2012

Family Volunteer Week

Submitted by Emily Campbell

During the holiday season, we are encouraged and reminded to give thanks and show love to others through acts of service. This year, HandsOn Kansas State paired with Alpha Delta Pi sorority and HandsOn Academic Mentors to host a Family Volunteer Week during the week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday in order to give back through community service. 

“The premise of Family Volunteer Week is that people who volunteer together consider themselves family,” said Lynda Bachelor, HandsOn Kansas State coordinator. “No matter what you constitute as a family, this is an opportunity to do work together.” 

The K-State Alpha Delta Pi chapter realized the need there was for reaching out to the Manhattan community as a whole. The sorority's national philanthropy is the Ronald McDonald House, but the members wanted a local philanthropy to focus on and serve.

“The philanthropy chair from Alpha Delta Pi, Heidi Hurtig, approached me this summer about getting involved with community service locally,” Bachelor said. “We were already planning on taking part in the National Family Volunteer Day on Nov. 17, so we were excited to have a group that wanted to help us extend our service efforts.”

The women of Alpha Delta Pi will be helping with various volunteer projects throughout the week to help serve the Manhattan community and beyond. 

In addition to Alpha Delta Pi, the HandsOn Academic Mentors, a program offered through the School of Leadership Studies, expressed an interest in serving. These two groups will help create Hope Bag craft kits to be given to patients at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and Children’s Mercy of Kansas City. 

The women of Alpha Delta Pi  and HandsOn Kansas State will host a Hope Bag night on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 4-7 p.m. at the sorority, 518 Sunset Ave. The HandsOn Academic Mentors will also host a Hope Bag day on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at USD 383 Head Start, 1700 Leavenworth St.

“These bags will provide a fun and creative craft project for children with serious illnesses,” Bachelor said, “but it will also serve as a reminder that the Manhattan community cares.”

All are welcome to join the service efforts during Family Volunteer Week. Visit handson.ksu.edu/FamilyVolunteerDay for more information about how you can get involved.