SWAU Ignite Service Day

Southwestern Adventist University students planned and hosted a campus-wide service day. The event, called SWAU Ignite, consisted of an estimated 250 students, faculty, and staff reaching out on service projects to 17 locations around Johnson County. The locations ranged from Communities Opportunities, an agency whose purpose is to provide life opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to Noah's Ark, small local animal rescue project. The students did a wide-variety of projects including planting gardens, painting, home repairs, garden and lawn services, packing emergency disaster supplies, doing activities with Communities Opportunities residents, singing for Town Hall and Chisholm Trail Estates residents, clearing trails at Cleburne State Park, and more! 

“Service is one of our core values,” says Vice President for Spiritual Development Russ Laughlin. “Our campus has a long history of community service as we’ve had the privilege to work and connect with our neighbors. We want to give our faculty and students a greater opportunity to do this together so we’re all taking the day to work in our community.”

“I’m really looking forward to this Service Day,” says Samson Sembeba, President of the Student Association. “I think it is a day that will bring students closer to faculty and SWAU closer to the community.”

View photos and video of the event! 

The locations included 
Joshua Seventh-day Adventist Church Greenhouse Project
Christmas in Action - providing hope and action to the low-income elderly and disabled 
Enactus Greenhouse Project
Country Cars
6 Stones -cities, businesses and churches to help struggling homeowners with home repairs
Noah's Ark - Animal rescue project
Mission Hospice
Jelly Stone Park
Burleson SDA Church Youth Project
Chisholm Trail Estates 
Community Opportunities - provide life opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Keene Cemetery
Town Hall Estates
Cleburne State Park
Adventist Community Services Disaster Relief
Two anonymous locations