Nov 17, 2019 3 min read

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Waynesburg is not a typical college town where students spend hours in coffee shops, fill the streets and throw parties. In fact, some merchants in town say the number of students visiting their businesses is not significant.

Kristy Vliet, who owns 5 Kidz Kandy, said that one professor from the university always takes his class to her High Street shop at the beginning of the year to show the new students around town. Aside from that, she sees “three college kids a week, but that’s about it.”

However, the institution keeps working to fulfill its mission of faithfully transforming communities. The most important way Waynesburg University tries to leave a positive impact is by encouraging community service.

Eight years ago, assistant deans of student services Christopher and Kelley Hardie put in practice an idea of offering local service trips. The Greene County immersion program takes 15 to 25 students to different organizations in the area during school breaks.

On the latest trip, during fall break from Oct. 13 to 19, students helped with the Greene County Habitat for Humanity, Greene County Historical Society and Corner Cupboard Food Bank, among other nonprofits.

Corner Cupboard Foodbank executive director Candace Tustin called university students a “consistent group” and said they are very helpful not only during the service trips but also as volunteers in other times of year.

She explained some students who come end up going back to help, both for class assignments and on their own. Some even go as far as starting fundraisers for the organization.

St. Ann’s Church and Hidden Treasures, a City Mission thrift shop, also benefit from students volunteering. Hidden Treasures store manager Cheryl Poplawski said that she appreciates the “extra help” during the service trips.

Father Albin McGinnis said Waynesburg University has been helping St. Matthias Parish in different ways for many years, from fundraisers to service trips to Guatemala. He also noted there are students who go back to the church every Tuesday evening to provide warm meals for those in need.

Volunteering within the community is something students do throughout their academic life. Sociology student Briana Armenia, a junior, started helping organizations during her freshman year. Through the honors school, she does mentorship work for the Compass Program twice a week, tutoring at-risk kids with credit and grade recovery.

For local law enforcement, students are also an asset. Waynesburg Borough Police Chief Tom Ankrom said that, although some residents complain about students taking up street parking around campus, parking services have actually benefited from a partnership with the university’s Criminal Justice program. Officer Logan Koller, a student and former police intern, was hired earlier this year to help with parking enforcement.

Moreover, students have been helping with event security. Senior Carson Rutledge, a criminal justice major, was the team leader for the borough’s Trick-or-Treat task force, making sure the event ran smoothly and reporting any suspicious activity to the officers.

“There were seven of us from the criminal justice program that went and helped the borough and we got to meet and talk with the officers before we split into three groups across Waynesburg,” Rutledge said. “We helped the borough by walking around the area keeping an eye out and, most importantly, being a smiling face.”