On Friday Jan. 23, students of the Wilkes University Honors Program participated in a service event at Ruth’s Place.
According to the Volunteers of America Pennsylvania’s website, Ruth’s Place House of Hope “is an emergency sheltering support group for women experiencing homelessness.” The program provides women with shelter, food, personal hygiene products and resources to get them back on their feet during hard transitions in time of need. These resources include job connections, social relationships, teachings of life skills and other case management services.
Ten students along with the program’s Graduate Assistant, Starr Sandt cooked a pasta dinner for the women of the shelter to warm up the already cold day.
The students worked together to plan the meal, assign themselves to different stations and prepare the pasta dish for dinner. Utilizing food donated from the Weinberg CEO food bank, the Honors Program was able to produce pasta with sauteed bell peppers, mushrooms and green beans.
Starr Sandt described why she chose Ruth’s Place as her place of service “I chose to organize a volunteer opportunity at Ruth’s Place because I wanted to create an opportunity for students to step outside of our campus and engage with an organization that is doing meaningful work in our community. Volunteering at Ruth’s Place helps us to learn through service, build empathy and contribute in a meaningful way. This experience truly helps create a deeper understanding of how small acts of service can make a real difference.”
The students had fun getting to work with one another in the kitchen as a way to give back to their community. Junior Liz Keller described her experience volunteering for the dinner service.
“I had a great time returning to Ruth’s Place with my friends in the Honors Program for some community service!” Keller has volunteered to help cook for the women on various occasions throughout her time at Wilkes and continues to do so as a way to give back to the local community.
This food wasn’t the only thing that warmed hearts either, as the students were able to interact with some of the women and watch their smaller community help each other out.
Sophomore Andrea Buenano stated that she chose to volunteer because “community is something I have always loved, and giving back has always been very important to me.”
“When you have the time and the ability to help, I truly believe you should take it. That is why I chose to volunteer at Ruth’s Place alongside my peers,” she continued.
Buenano’s station was the boiling and stirring station and she was able to cook and serve with a smile on her face throughout the experience.
“I wanted our community to know that no matter the social circumstances or challenges people may face, we are here, we care and we have heart and compassion to serve.”
“Being able to cook and prepare meals for others was an incredibly heartwarming experience. It reminded me how something as simple as showing up and serving with love can make a meaningful difference in someone’s day,” she concluded.
Buenano’s words serve to remind us of the importance of helping others and the gratitude it can give us in return.
If you or a club are interested in volunteering at Ruth’s Place or helping the women of the shelter, they accept monetary donations through the Volunteers of America website. A wishlist of nonperishables and toiletries are also available on their website.
