Living-learning communities partnered with Arkansas Red Cross to put on the event, thank you for your service card-making March 6.
Senior Emille Geater said, “It is just an event to make cards to show our appreciation and gratitude for veterans who served our country.”
This event was held in the UCA Student Center from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
There were two one-hour shifts that the students had the opportunity to sign up for, each shift had 30 spots.
Freshman Judith Wanasida said, “I saw a post about this event on UCA Bear Hall’s Instagram. I am volunteering because it seemed like a charitable thing to do, and I knew that I needed some volunteer hours.”
Senior Katie May said, “I heard about this event because one of my professors recommended that we go to this event. I chose to come because I love our veterans and it sounded like a lot of fun getting to make cards for a good cause.”
At the beginning of the event Stephanie Verdaman, first-year armed forces and international services regional manager, gave more information to the volunteers about what they were making these cards for.
Verdaman said, “It is literally thanking our men and women in uniform for what they do every single day, and what they have done for our freedoms and everything they have done.”
She also explained that the cards may not just be given out to retired veterans.
Verdaman said, “Depending on the number of cards we get, we may go and give away some of those to our active duty military on the Little Rock Air Force base as well.”
The Arkansas Red Cross has set a goal and the living-learning community was able to help them work towards that goal through this event.
Director of living-learning communities, Lesley Graybeal said, “We have a partnership with the Arkansas Red Cross, and they asked for help specifically making up to 750 cards for veterans through their veteran outreach programs. So our goal here today, we make 100 of those cards. This is just the first of our events that are themed around thanking veterans for their service, but we will have more events throughout the academic year going forward to fulfill this whole specifically.”
The living-learning communities work with all first-year students.
Graybeal said, “Every first-year student, regardless of where they live on campus, or even if they commute, they are a part of a living-learning community. We try to offer different programs and events throughout the year that help first-year students just accomplish their goals, get connected to each other, get connected to campus and in the community. We know a lot of first year students are looking for service opportunities this year, so we have tried to offer a number of different service opportunities.”
The next living-learning communities event — Arkansas Future Caucus meet and greet — will be held at 6 p.m., March 19, at UCA McCastlain Hall fireplace room.
