The students asked to dedicate half of a beloved Saturday toward hard manual labor every month they deserve to know why. With values like service and stewardship, how does Viterbo lead by example and live those out? Colin Burns-Gilbert, director of orientation and engagement, spends his entire time working at Viterbo deeply entwined in Service Saturdays and ensuring the success of the events and students.
With pride in service Burns-Gilbert’s team dedicates itself to planning Service Saturdays and ensuring success. In April and May, each Service Saturday date for the fall was set, mindful of other activities across campus. Summer entailed reaching out to companies and organizations asking how Viterbo can do the greatest good.
In previous years, each student leader would get one month to focus on planning and leading. This system fostered creativity but weighed heavily on one. Relief came through a collaborative approach this year. Burns-Gilbert was initially hesitant about the templates and imposed structure; however, he is happy with the pressure mitigated.
Burns-Gilbert expressed his gratitude for all the hard work and dedication the current leaders, Emma and Kale put into each month. Their commitment to weekly meetings, brainstorming creative ways build a space for thoughtful reflection for all volunteers.
Preparation culminates on the Friday before, as rosters and site leader guides need updating and set up commences. Saturday mornings are messy, and chaos normalized. With no-shows and unregistered volunteers, reorganizing and shuffling is vital for sites’ efficiency and effectiveness. Even with this expectation, Burns-Gilbert stresses the importance of focusing on who does show up. Welcoming everyone, building relationships, and remembering names remains integral to Saturday morning.
After service, volunteers regroup for reflection, a chance to bring meaning to their experience by understanding the why and the who behind the projects. Service Saturdays are meant to build habits of giving and why the time and prompts were poured over weeks and months prior.
December’s Viterbo Rings drastically differs from other Saturdays without the pre and post meetings and discussions. Yet, huddling around a red Salvation Army bucket ringing bells with friends and teammates proves to be a good chance for bonding and reflection.
Burns-Gilbert’s favorite part of the day comes after 9:00 p.m. when the leftover hot chocolate delivered to all sites and volunteers, is brought to the Salvation Army, directly connecting to the people served.
Viterbo Rings is the Saturday before finals; how much is your time worth? Unattended, the Salvation Army’s red buckets make $10 a day; $77 an hour is a stark difference when the only change is having ringers. One hour can go towards 77 extra dollars that help feed, clothe, and shelter about 65 individuals as they make the transition to more affordable housing according to the community relations specialist of La Crosse’s Salvation Army, Rick Rux.
Viterbo’s Service Saturday team offers five more planned events, but there are more opportunities to find and share kindness. Burns-Gilbert urges everyone to consider signing up for one day to see how it goes. All dates are incredibly different and exciting with opportunities at any level, all geared toward connecting back to Viterbo’s core values in our community.
