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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – A group of more than 160 incoming freshmen will volunteer throughout the North Shore for this year’s First Year Day of Service at Salem State University.
Now in its eighth year, the First Year Day of Service program is an opportunity for new Vikings to move into campus early and immediately give back at the beginning of their career at Salem State University. In addition to 165 volunteer slots filling up in under two weeks, nearly 40 “Day of Service Ambassadors” are returning as upper-classmen team leaders who were eager for a second helping of service.
“As Salem State Vikings, we are committed to civic engagement and are known for our community service legacy throughout the North Shore,” President John D. Keenan said. “As a lifelong resident, I’ve always made a habit of giving back to the community that has done so much for me. The First Year Day of Service is about creating the opportunities for our students to do the same.”
This year, students will work with 19 organizations from Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Peabody and Salem. Assignments are based in part on the volunteers’ interests and majors, according to Mathew Chetnik, assistant dean of student success and the first year experience and a co-organizer for the First Year Day of Service.
“A lot of students put down a lot of issues when telling us their interests as they sign up,” Chetnik said. “What’s always really heartening is when they make comments like, ‘I’m really passionate about treating everyone and everything with kindness’ or ‘I’m literally ready to do anything.’ The students who lean into First Year Day of Service are passionate about a lot of stuff, but they’re also just good, caring people who want to help their fellow students and community members.”
Animal rights are a top concern among the incoming crop of volunteers, with 78 students identifying the issue when signing up, according to Katelyn Adams, assistant director of the Center for Civic Engagement and co-organizer for the event. The second leading issue was rights for those within the LGBTQIA+ community, with 61 students listing it when applying.
“We’re going to be in the communities of Salem, Peabody, Lynn, Danvers and Beverly, working on everything from food insecurity, homelessness, education, environmentalism and sustainability to LGBTQIA+ rights, animal welfare, historical preservation, women’s empowerment and youth development,” Adams said. “Students are doing everything from helping youth organizations with things like end-of-summer barbecues – we’re doing that with both Girls, Inc. and Northeast Arc – to helping National Parks with preservation, cleanup, and working with urban farms.”
CJ Hughes, farm manager at the Newhall Fields Community Farm in Peabody, said the First Year Day of Service “contributes greatly to Newhall Fields Community Farms’ mission.”
“As a majority volunteer-powered organization, we are passionate about getting community members out to the farm to get their hands dirty,” Hughes said. “We love to see people, especially young people, connecting in-person outdoors in nature, learning about agriculture, mastering new skills, and getting to know one another in a new way.”
Newhall Fields always enjoys the support of volunteers, and “the students from Salem State are passionate, enthusiastic, and always reliable,” Hughes said.
“We value our partnership with Salem State and know that we can count on the Day of Service each year to have many hands at the farm for large projects that would otherwise have to wait,” Hughes said. “We are proud to have their hands help us in growing delicious, nutritious produce for our neighbors in Peabody.”
The eighth running of the First Year Day of Service comes as Salem State seeks to recertify under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. First achieved in 2020 and recertified on a five-year cycle, the classification in part recognizes institutions with strong community engagement values. Salem State is one of 369 colleges and universities with the community engagement classification.
Stefanie Gianquitto, volunteer and pantry services manager at The Salem Pantry, said the First Year Day of Service “offers new students an opportunity to gain insight into the operations of The Salem Pantry, allows them to make a meaningful impact in the local community, engages them in efforts to address food insecurity in Massachusetts, and it serves as a platform to connect with peers.”
“Students can act as advocates for the organization, helping to raise awareness and garner support from their peers and networks, and increase the organization's adaptability by bringing fresh and innovative approaches to problem-solving,” Gianquitto said. “Whether they are new to the North Shore or have lived here their entire lives, students can leverage their acquired knowledge to contribute positively to the community in the future.”