First-year students at Elon University School of Law packed grocery bags, painted walls and made new friends Saturday, Aug. 11 during Elon Law Reaches Out, a morning of community service projects at seven locations throughout the Piedmont Triad.
The event was designed to give new law students an opportunity to give back to the local community and interact with each other in an informal setting, said Melissa Duncan, a second-year law student and member of LEAFS (Leadership at Elon by Advising First-Year Students).
“This is a great chance for these students to be introduced to the Triad and to each other,” said Duncan. “Making this event part of orientation activities for first-year students sends the right message about the importance Elon Law places on civic engagement and giving back to the community.”
Adge Hudson of Hickory, NC, was one of several students who helped pack plastic grocery bags with frozen food items at Food Assistance, Inc., on Patterson Street in Greensboro. The program is totally dependent on volunteers who help collect and deliver groceries to more than 300 disabled people and low income seniors in Guilford County.
“It’s nice to help out with such a worthwhile cause,” said Hudson. “A lot of people depend on this food to make it through the month, so it’s nice to know our work makes a difference.”
In addition to Food Assistance, students also volunteered at Forest Oaks Country Club in preparation for next week’s Wyndham golf tournament; Green Hill Center; Red Dog Farm; Horsepower Therapeutic Learning Center; The Servant Center; and Evergreen Senior Center.
Orientation continues Monday, Aug. 13, as first-year students undergo
4 days of seminars and testing to explore their strengths and
lay the groundwork for significant personal and professional
growth. Students will learn about the rigors of law school
and the differences between legal and undergraduate
education. Orientation will conclude Friday, Aug. 17 with a
tour of Elon University’s main campus in Alamance
County and a reception at the home of President Leo M. Lambert.