A Tradition of Community Service
At Kimball Union, community is at the center of everything we do and for generations, community service has been a significant part of that tradition. Whether through KUAid annual benefit concerts, serving on the Meriden Volunteer Fire Department with the Fire Brigade, Play for a Cure Athletic Fund-raisers, or participating in the CHaD Hero 5K race, alumni throughout the ages will remember lending a hand. Early this Spring, Jingbang ’22 organized the Polar Plunge Fund-raiser, cleverly raising over $700 for Direct Relief and victims of Hurricane Irma by sourcing donations which sent Assistant Head of School David Weidman diving into the icy waters of Chellis Pond.
During the first week of March, students participated in K-Term, our annual project-based learning week. Offerings included exploratory trips to Maine to cross country ski hut-to-hut, studying war memorials in Washington, DC, a cultural visit to Berlin, and on-campus offerings such as Astronomy, Coaching, Forensic Science, and, naturally, Community Service in the Upper Valley.
“During K-Term week,” recalls Tong ’18, “we went to Plainfield Elementary school, The Listen Center, Meriden Day Care, David’s House, and we held a community lunch where organizations came to campus.” Nancy ’19 elaborates, “We helped different organizations with whatever they needed. At Plainfield Elementary, we joined the Veggie Boogie Day to educate young students on healthy eating habits. At the Meriden Day Care, I’m really grateful I was able to play with the kids.” Tong agreed, “My favorite part of the week was visiting Day Care. It reminded me of being a kid and not having to worry about anything. Just enjoy the moment and have fun every day… the whole week broadened my perspective about community service. Sometimes, living in the KUA-Bubble, we don’t realize what organizations are around us.” For Nancy, service is important because “it’s a way to give back to the community by helping other people and doing things that you like. A small impact for you can make a big impact for someone else.”
Our commitment to community service continues this spring. Last week we hosted Lebanon’s Spark Community Center on campus for a fun night of games and socializing with our students, and we are looking forward to the Penney Fellowship club’s support of local soup kitchens, our annual summer-storage fund-raiser benefiting the Upper Valley Haven, and service trips across the globe through the Cullman Scholarship program this summer.
