“These kids are ready for sainthood,” said Doris Cerny. Her home was nominated by Lincoln’s Aging Partners agency as a site for this year’s Project Impact, but she wasn’t sure what to expect when six Union College students drove up. “I watch the news every day. All you hear about is how terrible and dangerous young people are these days. They should meet these kids. They are so kind and they worked hard and got everything done fast.” Led by Morgan Wolzen, a business major from Kansas, the team weeded, trimmed trees and bushes, and even hauled the truckload of yard waste away for her, a feat the octogenarian could never have done on her own.
All across Lincoln, similar scenes repeated both at private residences and community organizations: students cleaned, painted, sorted, gardened, delivered meals and shared their joy. This year, student leaders from Mid-America academies also joined in for team building and a preview of a different side of college life.
Every year, Union College takes a day off from classes to serve the community. At 41 years and counting, Project Impact is the longest-running collegiate service day in the nation. The day is designed to introduce students to the joy of serving others and connects them to community service organizations where they can continue to volunteer all year long.
Learn more about the event at ucollege.edu/project-impact
Milka Mendoza, a pre-nursing major from Nebraska, and Savannah Fortney, an international rescue and relief major from Nebraska, looked for volunteers and hand out t-shirts at the kickoff for Project Impact 2022.
