On Friday, December 3rd, seven Western students took a break from studying for exams and trekked through the snow to Rotholme Women’s and Family Shelter. Rotholme is one of the shelters run by Mission Services of London, and provides emergency shelter for families and single women. Mission Services provides many important services to community members in need. Throughout the year the Community Service Learning Network will be volunteering with Mission Services in many of their programs, providing students with the opportunity to learn more about the organization.
This service learning event was filled with holiday cheer! Students decorated the shelter for the holidays with some of the families at the shelter. Some students had never decorated for the holidays, so this was a night filled with new experiences. The students had many different reasons for coming out to volunteer, but we all found out how important this shelter is to our community. Through interaction with the clients of the Rotholme and a discussion period following the service, students were able to share what value this service had to their academic and career goals. One student aspired to be a teacher, so spending time with children provided valuable experience, while others simply wanted to get involved in the community they live in. We are excited to continue with Mission Services and to learn more about the issues they face and the community members they serve.
- - Alanna Morgan
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