HELENA, MT — Carroll College marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by bringing students and Helena-area nonprofit organizations together for a 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance project focused on service, connection and community engagement.
Carroll’s Service in Action Fair introduced students to local nonprofit organizations and the needs they address throughout the Helena community. More than 240 students participated, learning about opportunities to volunteer and serve while completing hands-on service projects benefiting local organizations and the people they support.
“As college students, we are always looking for meaningful ways to serve our surrounding communities,” said ASCC President Maria Ackerman. “This service fair brought local organizations directly to campus, creating an opportunity for students to connect face-to-face with community leaders, learn about their missions, and discover meaningful ways to get involved. I am very excited to see this Service Fair grow in the future!”
Participating organizations represented a wide range of community needs, including food insecurity, housing instability, foster care, healthcare, domestic violence prevention, support for military families and senior care.
Community partners included Good Samaritan Ministries, God’s Love, Options Clinic, Florence Crittenton, Helena Food Share, Montana Supporting Military, St. Peter’s Health, Child Bridge, Family Promise, Helena Pointe Independent Senior Living and the Youth Justice Council.
“I thought it was so beautiful to see so many students excited to come serve at God’s Love,” said senior Sydney Forrey, volunteer organizer for God’s Love. “This organization holds such a special place in my heart, and to see others excited about it too was so wonderful.”
At each booth, students could learn about an organization’s work, volunteer opportunities and internships while also completing a small service project. By the end of the fair, students had created hundreds of gift bags, cards, care packages and other items that will go directly to people served by the participating organizations.
“I loved engaging with the Carroll College students during the Service in Action Fair as they learned more about Options Clinic while creating Mother’s and Father’s Day cards and Baby’s First Christmas ornaments for our patients,” said Jenny Genger, Community Outreach Coordinator at Options Clinic. “It was such a beautiful opportunity to connect with the students and see them use their time and creativity to bring encouragement and joy to the families we serve.”
For the organizations involved, the fair also provided an opportunity to introduce a new generation of students to the work happening throughout Helena and build connections that can continue beyond a single day of service.
“It was amazing seeing so many students engaged and curious about the work we and the other nonprofits do in the community,” said Ellie Hampton, Case Manager for Family Promise. “We can’t thank Carroll College enough for the amazing connections that you’ve made possible, and we can’t wait to hear more of the community-building opportunities in the future.”
The project was supported by funding from The Alliance for Campus Community Engagement through its national partnership with 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps. The partnership provides resources to member campuses across the country to develop service opportunities honoring the spirit of unity, remembrance and community action associated with 9/11 Day.
The Service in Action Fair reflects Carroll’s ongoing commitment to connecting students with the broader community and creating opportunities to put service into action. Through partnerships with local organizations, students can learn more about the challenges facing their community while discovering ways to contribute their time and talents throughout their Carroll experience.
The event was part of Carroll’s Inauguration Week, themed Rooted in Mission. Cultivating the Future. Events throughout the week reflected the five pillars of Carroll’s mission, with the Service in Action Fair bringing to life the college’s call to serve others with humility, particularly those who are poor and marginalized.
To learn more about service opportunities at Carroll College, visit the Hunthausen Center for Peace and Justice.
About The Alliance for Campus Community Engagement
The Alliance for Campus Community Engagement (“The Alliance”) is the largest network of state and regional coalitions dedicated to supporting the public purposes of higher education. Representing more than 400 member institutions, The Alliance advances public service, civic engagement, campus-community partnerships and locally driven initiatives that strengthen communities nationwide.
