On Saturday, March 18, Samford students and alumni flooded Birmingham, serving the community in a myriad of capacities. Student organizations, ministries, sororities and fraternities formed groups to participate in Samford Gives Back, an annual off-campus outreach opportunity. Each group participated in a different service project, and students had the opportunity to receive convocation credit if they finished the project in its entirety.
Groups from Samford’s Student Government Association and League of Women Voters served alongside Samford Ambassadors and Delta Sigma Theta at King’s Home, a home that provides refuge to women and children.
According to Alexandra Carlee, a sophomore who served as part of the SGA group, the students spent time cleaning the yard of the home and completing other outdoor tasks. Meera Money and Jada Hunter, two juniors, led the groups from SGA and League of Women Voters.
“It was incredible to serve alongside other organizations at King’s Home for the glory and honor of the Lord,” Money said. “There is something beautiful that happens when we volunteer to give back to the community that has welcomed us in our college years at Samford.”
Many members of Greek life were a part of Samford Gives Back as well, including Alpha Omicron Pi, who volunteered at the Alabama Wildlife Center. According to Rachel Barnfield, a sophomore in AOII, the center mainly works to rehabilitate injured birds and release them back into the wild. The students from AOII helped to clean bird enclosures and lay mulch on the property.
“It was really awesome to work with this local nonprofit doing such amazing work,” Barnfield said. “Everyone was so appreciative of the work we were doing, even if it was just laying mulch down. It reminded me that being the hands and feet of Jesus can take many different forms.”
Students were not the only members of the Samford community who took part in the annual service event. For the first time in the event’s history, a group of Samford alumni participated as well. Casey Ramey, the executive director of Alumni and Philanthropic Engagement, served alongside other alumni at Morgan United Methodist Church, where they partnered with Grace Klein Community to help with their new facility.
According to Ramey, the founder of Grace Klein Community is a Samford alumna. The alumni who served helped to organize clothing and build a community garden.
“The goal was to provide an opportunity for alumni to be involved in Samford Gives Back, and we are so thrilled that we were able to participate by serving at Grace Klein Community,” Ramey said.
Whether current student or alumni, all who participated in this year’s Samford Gives Back enjoyed stepping outside of Samford’s campus to serve the larger Birmingham community.
Staff Writer
