Students serve for First Friday

By: Rohan Mattu, Contributing Writer

On Sept. 9, five student volunteers traveled to Edenwald Retirement Community to socialize and play games with residents.

The volunteer work was part of Towson’s monthly “First Friday of Service,” sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Civic Engagement and Leadership.

“The residents enjoy it, because a lot of our residents are Towson alumni, so it gives them a chance to talk about Towson and their time there,” Edenwald activity manager and volunteer coordinator Lisha Galloway said.

Edenwald has been caring for the elderly since 1881.

It was relocated from Baltimore to Towson in 1985, behind what is now the Towson Town Center.

Students met at 1:30 p.m. for a short orientation with Director of Civic Engagement Chris Jensen in the Liberal Arts building.

Then, they departed in a van to the residence buildings.

Some students found that learning about the university from the perspective of one who experienced it 50 or 60 years ago was a very enlightening and profound experience.

“I want to give back to my community, and I want people to feel like they really have people here to help,” student volunteer Jada Britt said.

One group of volunteers participated in a lively birthday party held for a resident, alongside her neighbors and friends.

Others enjoyed live covers of Johnny Cash as they socialized with residents, singing along to the tunes.

Community Service Graduate Assistant Tyler Howard considers Friday his day to decompress and serve others to feel fulfilled.

“It’s a really good way to get volunteer hours and meet like minded people,” Howard said.

“I can’t think of any better way to start the weekend than giving back to the community.”

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