On Friday, September 5th, Ross Medical Education Center Roosevelt Park campus joined forces with the United Way of the Lakeshore for their 21st annual Day of Caring. Members of the Roosevelt Park campus have participated in this event for four of the past five years, volunteering in various capacities to support their community. “I thoroughly enjoy participating in the Day of Caring as it gives us a chance to make a difference beyond the walls of the office,” said Tara Ludlow, Financial Aid Student Services Representative. “Our students are our community and I enjoy the ability to help them on a whole different level.”
Every year, on the Day of Caring, community members come together to help strengthen the community bonds by working alongside others in their area on different projects throughout the city. In years past, the campus has worked at many sites and completed many tasks under the direction of the United Way. This year, the Roosevelt Park campus worked on a project called McLaughlin Grows. Founded in 2009 by non-profit organization Community enCompass, McLaughlin Grows is an urban farm that seeks to provide jobs, training, and quality produce to their community. According to their Facebook page, their mission is “to create a healthier community by producing local, organically grown food.”
The volunteers from Ross were blazing walking trails, landscaping, erecting a hoop house, tilling and preparing ground, and much more. One of the projects, the hoop house, will enable the farm to grow and harvest produce year-round in a heated greenhouse. The whole day was a great success and enjoyed by the entire community, including Ross. Kris Reasoner, Office Assistant, shared, “It was my first time participating in the United Way Day of Caring. It was awesome to see people come together to work hard for our community. Great place to network too!” Plans are already in process for participation in next year’s Day of Caring!