“(The group) I had today from Kettering were by far the best volunteers I’ve ever had. ”
Kettering Students Support Flint Community on Service Saturday
Nearly 200 Kettering students marked their start on campus by participating in Service Saturday on July 13. They lent a helping hand through various service projects, including assisting almost a dozen homeowners in the Mott Park neighborhood, volunteering at the Flint Children’s Museum, working in a community garden, and painting over graffiti.
“Service Saturday represents an intentional effort to demonstrate that the University is committed to being a good neighbor and to playing an active role in supporting Flint’s revitalization. And just as importantly, it demonstrates to students that wherever they go as leaders in their respective industries, it is vitally important to be in tune with the community and be a force for good,” said Jack Stock, Director of External Relations. “It is a lesson in civics that says Kettering’s problem-solvers want to be a part of the solution wherever we go.”
Kettering has organized Service Saturday events for over a decade, living up to one of the University’s Pillars of Success: Community Vitality. The day of service is annually part of new student orientation and occurs both in July and October.
This year, Kettering students took on several projects in the areas surrounding campus. They worked inside and outside at Flint Children’s Museum, assisting with exhibits and the garden. They helped homeowners in the Mott Park neighborhood with cleaning garages, clearing gutters, trimming bushes, spreading mulch, and other lawn projects. They also picked up paintbrushes and covered graffiti in the University Avenue Corridor. The students even stenciled drains in partnership with the Genesee County Drain Commission.
Multiple neighbors came out to thank the students for their hard work. “The group of kids that I had today from Kettering were by far the best volunteers I’ve ever had. … It was just phenomenal,” one neighbor said. “It went way better than what I expected, and I appreciate it, and I would like to work with them again if it ever comes up.”
Past Service Saturday projects include cleaning up blighted city lots, painting homes in the neighborhood, Flint River cleanups, planting trees, restoring grave sites, building playgrounds, and working on the grounds of Durant-Tuuri Mott Elementary.