850 volunteers gather to serve Arkadelphia area during Ouachita’s semi-annual Tiger Serve Day
September 28, 2015
- Kelsey Bond & Trennis HendersonA total of 850 students, faculty and staff gathered Saturday, Sept. 26, at the new home of Ouachita Baptist University’s Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community to kick off the university’s fall 2015 Tiger Serve Day.
The student-led initiative hosted each semester by the Elrod Center has produced more
than 70,000 volunteer service hours since the first Tiger Serve Day was launched in
1997. This semester’s volunteers sported T-shirts featuring the TSD theme, “Serve
Your Socks Off.”
The 850 volunteers divided into 100 teams and completed 105 projects for the semi-annual
community service effort. Projects ranged from raking leaves, trimming bushes and
cleaning out flower beds to painting, window washing, cleaning gutters and washing
cars. The projects benefit families, schools and nonprofit organizations throughout
the Arkadelphia community.
The Tiger Serve Day Leadership Team includes student leaders who manage publicity,
teams, projects and logistics. Their service sets the stage for volunteers to make
a difference during the community service blitz.
“The Tiger Serve Day Leadership Team is the backbone of this day,” said Judy Duvall,
assistant director of the Elrod Center. “They are servant leaders with a heart for
God and people.”
"Being on the Tiger Serve Day Leadership Team has shown me how much preparation goes
in to the day,” said Reagan Parsons, a senior biology major from Arkadelphia. “It's
such a neat experience to go into the community and serve practical needs like Jesus
commands us to.
“Tiger Serve Day is a great stepping stone that leads to further involvement in the
community,” Parsons added. “It is by far my favorite day of each semester."
“The element that makes Tiger Serve Day successful is the people who have a heart
for service and community,” said TSD logistics team member Jacob Jenkins, a junior
Christian studies major from Benton. “If it weren’t for the teams that sacrifice their
time and energy to serve, Tiger Serve Day would not be possible.”
"This day each semester is something I look forward to most,” noted Lainey Weatherford,
a junior biology major from Hot Springs. “It's such a cool experience seeing the entire
campus come together to provide an act of service to those who live in the community
around us."
By Kelsey Bond and Trennis Henderson, OBU Vice President for Communications
Photos by Grace Finley
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