February 20, 2008 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CSI: College Town Service Initiative Set For February 23

Students From Spartanburg’s Colleges To Provide Assistance
To Local Service Organizations

SPARTANBURG, SC – Hundreds of students at Spartanburg’s six colleges and universities will come together to make Spartanburg a better place on Saturday, February 23, as they participate in fifth annual “CSI: College Town Service Initiative,” providing services to about a dozen service agencies around the community. 

CSI is a project of the College Town consortium, a collaboration of the institutions of higher education in Spartanburg County – Converse College, Sherman College, Spartanburg Methodist College, Spartanburg Community College, the University of South Carolina Upstate and Wofford College.  It is the fifth service initiative undertaken by students through College Town; the first in 2004 involved cleaning up Lawson’s Fork Creek. 

This year, students will participate in groups of varying sizes to provide much-needed services to a variety of Spartanburg service agencies.  The tentative list of agencies involved include Charles Lea Center, Children’s Advocacy Center, The Haven, Humane Society, Interim Hospice Care, Mountainview Nursing Home, Northwest Recreation Center, SAFE Homes, Skylyn Place Assisted Living, Spartanburg Children Shelter and Spartanburg Youth Center/Shelter. 

“We’ll have students doing everything from minor repairs and painting to making Disciple’s Crosses for Hospice patients to taking part in recreational activities at the Charles Lea Center,” says LaShanda Hutto, dean of student affairs at Sherman College and co-chairperson of the CSI planning committee. “The students are very excited about getting together with students from the other colleges and going out to do something very meaningful. This project provides students the chance to strengthen their connection to the local community and to broaden their minds regarding the impact of community service and of those who benefit.” 

The day for CSI will begin with a light breakfast and project signup at the First Baptist Church Hangar at 9 a.m. Participating students will receive T-shirts when they sign up for their projects. On behalf of the college presidents, Wofford President Dr. Benjamin Dunlap will greet the students before they depart to their project sites. 

Students will return to the Hangar for a 1:00 p.m. lunch and reflection on their work and impact.

The agencies where students will work include:

Charles Lea Center

Children’s Advocacy Center

The Haven

Humane Society

Interim Hospice Care

Mountainview Nursing Home

Northwest Recreation Center

SAFE Homes

Skylyn Place Assisted Living

Spartanburg Children Shelter

Spartanburg Youth Center/Shelter 

College Contacts:

Debra Smith, 864-596-9016 or debra.smith@converse.edu

LaShanda Hutto, 864-578-8770, ext. 242 or lhutto@sherman.edu

Kim Day, 864-587-4006 or dayk@smcsc.edu

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