In Ways Large and Small, People at UMass Lowell Find Ways to Make a Difference
Student Alumni Ambassadors ran their annual Rowdy Cares with Bears drive to collect stuffed animals that will be distributed to local children during the holidays.
11/18/2023
By University Relations Staff
It’s the season of giving, and River Hawks are leaning in, stepping up and giving back to the community. Through service-learning projects, research that benefits the public, volunteering and donation drives, students, faculty and staff are finding ways to make a difference.
Their efforts range from multimillion-dollar research projects that will improve public health and the environment to small acts like picking up litter in Lowell neighborhoods. Whatever the scale, the endeavors are meant to make life better for others.
Jake Hogan, Navigators Club president, says finding ways to help people in need is simply the right thing to do.
“If you are in a position of privilege, you should help,” says Hogan, a senior majoring in English.
First-year business student Jayson DeLong, who works part-time as a youth ministries coordinator for the Salvation Army, organized a Manning School of Business food drive to benefit the organization’s Lowell chapter.
For some students, giving back to the community is not an extracurricular activity. Nursing students and faculty have been visiting surrounding towns in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences’ Mobile Health Unit to do health screenings and provide wellness information to older residents.
And Asst. Prof. Elissa Magnant is giving students in her Business Ethics classes the option of doing two hours of community service in lieu of taking the final exam.
“It is a way to make the class more authentically experiential, and to give the students an opportunity to experience and reflect on the feelings humans get from giving back and being involved in our communities,” says Magnant, who is co-director of the Donahue Center for Business Ethics & Social Responsibility.
“It is also a way to illustrate how businesses can collaborate with community stakeholders such as nonprofits and NGOs to impact social issues in a positive manner.”
“Giving back to the local community through Rowdy Cares with Bears is crucial for fostering compassion and solidarity within our community. By participating in such initiatives, we not only uplift the spirits of those in need but also cultivate a culture of empathy and generosity,” he says.
