Taylor World Outreach (TWO) worked four months to organize an annual event called the Taylor Community Plunge. The team, led by TWO Office Assistant Jen McKim, began by reaching out to local nonprofits, community centers and missions organizations. Each location was then filled with teams made up of hundreds of students and citizens from the Upland community.
This year a combination of 615 Taylor students served including 45 upperclassmen, 15 TWO cabinet members and 555 freshmen. Together volunteers served a combination of 22 organizations.
“This event served as a great way to introduce new Taylor students to the community around them . . . It provides a connection for the students to the community that they will be living in the next few years,” Mckim said.
Freshman Kinsley Rushing was one of the many volunteers for this year’s Community Plunge. She said that her task was to separate the parts of donated eyeglasses so they could be recycled. The money could be used to help the community and to help Taylor.
“We were able to help the school, which I believe is a very positive outcome,” said Rushing.
Helping Hands, a missions organization located in Upland, was one of the many organizations that benefited from Plunge 2019. Students who served with this organization washed windows, cleaned, painted, handled stock or modeled clothing for their new store Instagram page.
Sara James, the volunteer coordinator, stated that Helping Hands is comprised of two main components: a thrift store and a food pantry. The store collects donations and sells them, afterward using the money gained to serve the people of Jefferson and Monroe township in practical ways.
The money they make goes to help local people in need such as families who can’t pay to keep their heat on in the winter.
“I would love to encourage the students to volunteer outside of Plunge,” James said.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in community outside of Taylor’s campus and to serve on a regular basis. Contact TWO to get more information on how to get involved this school year.
