VU SHRM Celebrates St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service

Over the weekend, the VU SHRM team participated in Villanova's Day of Service 11-year-old tradition. Each year, over 5,000 Villanovans perform service in the surrounding communities. The VU SHRM group spent the day at the Good Samaritan Shelter in Phoenixville, PA.

Good Samaritan Shelter is a Christian ministry that provides housing and supportive services for those experiencing homelessness in the local area. In addition to serving as a safe zone with comfortable housing and amenities, the Good Samaritan Shelter offers additional resources such as resume reviews or job searches to help their members get back on their feet. "Rather than give them the fish, we give them the tools and teach them how to fish," explained Good Samaritan volunteer coordinator, Richard Braxton.

Our VU SHRM team split up into three groups. One team cleared out and organized the basement of the main office building, another team worked on cleaning up the lot (weed whacking, trash cleanup, etc.), and a third team painted the dining and kitchen areas of one of the residential buildings.

While everyone was hard at work, we also had the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the Good Samaritan Shelter residents. They were truly appreciative of our work. Just one day of work improved the quality of the living spaces for the Good Samaritan residents. A few noted how much "brighter" the rooms felt with just a coat of paint. We were happy to have the opportunity to contribute.

Highlights included bonding with fellow Villanovans and HRD students and most importantly spending the day giving back to our community!

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Rita Snell is a Graduate Assistant in the Graduate HRD program at Villanova University. Learn more about her here!