Eighty-three students to serve through five mission service trips
Eighty-three students and 13 faculty and staff members will spend time serving various organizations during the early portion of their summer breaks. Five mission service trips will be offered by the University, allowing students the opportunity to serve various organizations around the United States and abroad.
The projects include the John Perkins Foundation in Jackson, Miss.; Hurricane Katrina Relief in Biloxi, Miss.; Chatham County Habitat for Humanity in Pittsboro, N.C.; a Native American Reservation in Tuba City, Ariz; and the Amy Biehl Foundation in Cape Town, Africa.
John Perkins Foundation – Jackson, Miss.
Tom Ribar, Waynesburg University chaplain, and Lynda Bradley, department of education placement and certification coordinator, will lead 25 students to Jackson, Miss., from Saturday, May 8 until Saturday, May 15, for a service and educational trip.
The group will serve in conjunction with the John Perkins Foundation, working on various building projects and studying racial reconciliation and community development issues. This year marks the University’s sixth trip to serve the foundation.
Hurricane Katrina Relief – Biloxi, Miss.
Fourteen students and three faculty members will travel to Biloxi, Miss., Saturday, May 8 to assist in the continued rebuilding efforts following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. The group will return Saturday, May 15. Carrie Smith and Steve Bauthier, resident directors at Waynesburg University, and Jonathan Owen, Waynesburg University Center for Research and Economic Development graduate assistant, will lead the trip.
The trip marks the University’s seventh trip to Biloxi since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.
Chatham County Habitat for Humanity – Pittsboro, N.C.
Twenty-four students and five faculty and staff members will travel to Pittsboro, N.C., to serve the Chatham County Habitat for Humanity Saturday, May 8 until Saturday, May 15. The Waynesburg University Touring Choir will perform during the trip.
James Bush, professor of mathematics; Melanie Catana, director of choral music; James DePriest, events coordinator; Ronda DePriest, assistant professor of instrumental music and director of the music program; and Nelson Fox, lecturer in music; will lead the service mission team.
Native American Reservation – Tuba City, Ariz.
Kelley Hardie, director of housing, and Frank Pazzynski, associate professor of education, will lead 11 students to serve a Native American Reservation from Saturday, May 8 until Saturday, May 15.
The group will serve in the Navajo Nation by tutoring students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Tuba City Boarding School. According to Hardie, the students will experience the Native American culture. The students will be assigned to a class where they will tutor in all subjects. Due to overcrowding, many of the children require tutoring to stay on track.
Tutors will have the opportunity to share knowledge and build skills in young people.
Amy Biehl Foundation – Cape Town, Africa
Dave Calvario, dean of students and director of the Center for Service Leadership at Waynesburg University, and nine students will travel to South Africa from May 19 to June 4. The group will serve the Amy Biehl Foundation located in Cape Town.
The Foundation’s mission is to prevent youth violence through a holistic approach to community development in socioeconomic-disadvantaged communities in and around Cape Town. The foundation works to empower youth by providing opportunities through education. The Foundation was created to honor Amy Biehl, a 26-year-old Fulbright Scholar studying in South Africa in 1993.
On August 25, Biehl was beaten and stabbed to death in a township near Cape Town. In 1998, the four youths convicted of her murder were granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) after serving five years of their sentence – a decision that was supported by Amy’s parents, Peter and Linda. Two of the convicted men now work for the Foundation.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three adult centers located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and is one of only 27 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
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Released May 4, 2010
Contact: Pam Cunningham, Assistant Director of University Relations
724.852.3384 or pcunning@waynesburg.edu