Campus Interfaith, along with the Community Service department will be participating in Greater Philadelphia Cares on Saturday Oct. 22. Students will be helping out by giving Philadelphia schools a ‘face-lift’.

According to the official website of the organization, this is the 18th annual “Philly Cares.” Last year there were over 4,000 volunteers putting in over 16,000 quality volunteer hours at 60 schools, four parks and four recreation centers. Volunteers participate in this marathon day of service by painting classrooms, cleaning playgrounds, organizing libraries and doing anything else that needs to be done in order to make schools in the Philadelphia area a little better.

When students arrive at a school in Philadelphia, they will begin working at 9 a.m. According to Campus Interfaith coordinator, Caitlin Czeh, the day is long but goes by really fast.

“We have a lot of fun doing anything that can help schools have a shiny outer layer,” Czeh said.

Members of the Philadelphia area school district are thrilled by the amount of work that is accomplished according to Czeh. Students, parents, teachers and principals are all there on the day of service helping their own schools out.

Due to a lack of funding, schools in the Philadelphia area have been falling behind. According to Czeh, they are all very appreciative of all the work that is done.

“At the event last year, a principal was so overwhelmed at how her school (was improved) because of all the volunteers. She had tears in her eyes at the end of the day,” Czeh said.

The Education Club will also be participating. Junior elementary education major and Education Club president Jessica Short wanted to participate in this event because it related to schools.

“As education majors we feel responsible to help out schools,” Short said. “Although Wilkes-Barre’s school district is classified as “urban,” I think that seeing the schools in need in Philly will be more of a culture shock.”

Anyone from the Wilkes community who is interested in participating should email Caitlin Czeh at [email protected]. Transportation is provided from Wilkes to a school in Philadelphia.

“You get a really great feeling at the end of the day because you know that you helped out a whole community,” Czeh said.