By Lauren Rink | Echo
Community Plunge is an annual Welcome Weekend event that encourages students and faculty from Taylor to help out in the Upland community. This event is designed to bring the Taylor community and the Upland community together for a common goal.
According to the Community Outreach Coordinator and Office Manager of Taylor World Outreach (TWO) Jen McKim, Community Plunge has taken place for over 20 years. McKim also explained that student members of TWO helped with site supervision, van driving and event organization.
This year's Community Plunge covered a wide range of activities. These activities included, but are not limited to: The Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, Lightrider Ministries, Red Barn, Pierce Church, Taylor University's Randall Garden, Upland Community Church and Victory Acres.
Sophomore Preceptor for Lime 3, Jack McNeil, explained that helping out at Pierce Community Church was beneficial to the community, and that it helped their group grow closer together.
Approximately 750 volunteers helped out during this year's Community Plunge, including 575 freshman, 115 upperclassmen (which include the First Year Experience preceptorial group leaders) and 60 faculty and staff volunteers.
"For Community Plunge, my group and I went to the Upland Lions Club to help them prepare for their big Labor Day Weekend festivities," Kyle Schultz, sophomore Preceptor for the Orange 2 group, said. "Our group participated in a wide variety of activities like painting, sweeping and raking leaves."
Schultz also explained that it felt great to go out as a group and offer helping hands in the Upland community. This activity allowed the group to gain a connection to the community while also bonding together by serving alongside one another.
Although the temperatures rose as the day went on, freshman were able to get a taste of the community Taylor encourages throughout the student body, faculty and staff.
"It was cool getting to work side by side with our upperclassmen leaders while being out in the community serving," freshman Lindsay Rice said.
