Salvation Army LINCS Partners With Vital Signs to Create 100 “Blessings Bags” to be distributed through the Salvation Army.
Elon a cappella group Vital Signs last month partnered with Salvation Army’s Leader in Collaborative Service (LINCS) Student Coordinator Annie Segal through the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement to pack 100 “Blessings Bags” to be distributed by the Salvation Army.
The local Target and Elon students provided an abundance of travel-sized toiletries, small cans of fruit and granola bars for the bags. Segal provided other useful items such as water bottles, bandaids and socks. Ten Vital Signs members assembled 100 bags consisting of these items, ready for community donation.
The most rewarding experience from this particular event, according to Segal, was the reaction of the participants. At the event’s closing, Vital Signs members were asking for new ways to volunteer, as well as asking to do the same event again.
Segal said this event was beneficial to both Elon University and the Salvation Army. By participating in service opportunities, students establish a way to get to know each other and expand their horizons “outside of the Elon bubble”, while the Salvation Army benefits from the donation of goods and time. According to Segal, “Nonprofits can never have enough manpower, and [Salvation Army] is extremely grateful for the efforts of Elon students.”
Most importantly, Segal finds that these events are inclusive to all students, and gives students the opportunity to see what an impact of just an hour of volunteering can make. Segal says through this type of service “Elon students have the opportunity to extend themselves outside of the Elon bubble, and explore the poverty that surrounds our university.”