Hobart and William Smith Colleges

16 April 2024 • Service 30 Years of Day of Service By Natalia St.Lawrence '16

In 1994, Day of Service began as “a message of hope.” Thirty years later, HWS celebrates the anniversary of a thriving tradition. On April 20, 300 HWS community members will volunteer. 

For three decades, Days of Service have brought volunteers from campus and the surrounding area together with the common purpose of giving back to the greater Geneva community.

“The collective efforts of students, faculty, staff and our community partners over the past 30 years has not only made an impact on the greater Geneva community, it has shaped a culture of civic engagement and stewardship on our campus,” says President Mark D. Gearan.

On April 20, nearly 300 HWS community members will participate in the Day of Service tradition. Ninety-five registered volunteers are alumni. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. on the Quad. The National Marrow Donor Program will table during registration to share information about becoming a donor. 

Speakers will include Associate Professor of Biology Kristen Brubaker, President Mark D. Gearan and Days of Service co-chairs Holly McCarty ’25 and Caroline Ruffner ’25. 

The idea sparked during a trip led by Guarasci and Chatel-Turbide to a City Year Day of Service event in Boston, Mass. On the return journey, the group agreed to launch a similar initiative on campus. 

"Students were really excited, and the event has stuck ever since," says Hobart Associate Dean David Mapstone '93, who began working for HWS in 1994. 

Mapstone remembers two catalyzing events leading to the Days of Service initiative. "It spoke to Generation X and how they wanted to participate in democracy and have their voice heard. They wanted to get their hands dirty," Mapstone says. "Additionally, Guarasci and Hobart and William Smith were finding ways to incorporate service-learning into the curriculum." 

In April 1994, an article titled “Celebrate Service, Celebrate Geneva… Day of Giving,” ran in the HWS student newspaper The Herald encouraging students to sign up for the inaugural event.

“By participating in the day of service, you will make a difference in your own life and in the life of our city. You will send a message of hope. Your energy, idealism and commitment will move toward what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned as ‘the beloved community,’” the article reads. 

Over the years, Days of Service has evolved through the sustained efforts of the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL) and the HWS Days of Service club, expanding to multiple days each year. Additionally, the first Day of Service of the academic year is hosted during Orientation, giving every first-year student the opportunity to participate at the beginning of their college experience.

This year’s co-chairs of the Days of Service club, Holly McCarty ’25 and Caroline Ruffner ’25, say they are thrilled to be on campus during the 30-year anniversary and hope to share the sense of purpose they’ve both felt and witnessed in their peers by engaging in acts of service.

“This is an amazing time to be on campus because the anniversary offers students the opportunity to participate in a tradition that HWS holds so dear,” McCarty says.

“I love when people ask to return to a site that they’ve volunteered at before because they had such a positive experience,” says Ruffner. “I’ve also loved working with CCESL and community members to connect HWS to the Geneva community.”

Parish Administrator at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Sue Adams has hosted Days of Service volunteers at her church all 30 years. “We’re a downtown parish and every nook and cranny is used for the betterment of our community. When people volunteer, it makes our programs accessible to children in Geneva. Having volunteers is an enormous gift. I don’t think we could have done all that we’ve done in the last 30 years without knowing that we had the help of HWS students a couple of times a year.”  

Community partner Jackie Augustine '99 has participated in Days of Service as a former student, former Geneva city councilor, and through organizations including Seneca7 and BluePrint Geneva. 

"Day of Service is a learning experience for everyone involved," says Augustine. "The students get to see some of the work going on around them and the agency members learn about the things that draw students off campus and inform their commitment to service. Some of the students we met during Day of Service went on to become active volunteers, and sometimes staff, down the road!" 

McCarty and Ruffner say their goal for this anniversary year is to increase campus participation. They encourage staff and faculty to join, as well as groups, including athletic teams, Greek organizations and student clubs.