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The importance of volunteerism cannotbe overstated. It fills a void in the socialfabric for underserved people, while italso teaches values and builds characterin those who participate. It comes in somany forms that people of all ages andfrom all walks of life can give back tohumankind or to their communities insome fashion or another.

Consider the 19th century Lands atHillside Farms in Kingston Township, Pa.,for example. Without the efforts ofcountless volunteers and organizations,this valuable nonprofit organizationnestled among the historic back countryroads and picturesque creeks of the BackMountain would not be able to offerimportant educational programs toregional children and residents.

“We wouldn’t exist,’’ Guy Kroll, directorof events and volunteers at The Lands atHillside Farms, says frankly. “We wouldnever be able to afford the labor to keepthe place going. Volunteers are thebackbone of the organization.’’

Misericordia’s inaugural Orientation Dayof Service on Saturday, Aug. 27 sought tocreate a sense of community among the

369 members of the freshman class byhaving them give back to thecommunities, people and nonprofits in thearea. “It was an incredible opportunity forour students to get to know the area theynow call home,’’ says Kristen MitchellSamuels, M.S.W., community outreachcoordinator at MU. “I was so impressedby the feedback. The students wereincredibly positive and open to theexperiences and many have comethrough the office asking about how theycan participate in more service activities.’’

Overall, more than 500 members of thecampus fanned out across eight locationsin the community to offer their time andtalent. Teams repaired flood-damagedsections of the Back Mountain Trail;planted trees and erected fence posts atBlue Chip Farms; prepared CampOrchard Hill for the season; planted 450seedlings at Francis Slocum State Park;prepared a greenhouse for anotherplanting season at the Lands at HillsideFarms; befriended residents at MercyCenter; became wheelchair transports atthe Meadows Nursing Center; andconducted detailed landscaping work atthe Dallas Senior Center.

The myriad of work also has left alasting impression on the volunteers andon those it benefitted most. “Without the

volunteers, it would have been difficult tohave this work done,’’ Sherlene Long,director of the Dallas Senior Center,comments as she watches MU studentsclean out debris-filled gutters, cut grassand use a power washer to clean thebuilding’s vinyl siding. “I love to see theyounger people volunteer like this. Fromthe bottom of my heart, thank you.’’

Between light showers and overcastskies, Jenny Borton ‘15, pulled weedsand cleared brush around the landscapeof the Dallas Senior Center. “I think theservice opportunity is good. I enjoy itbecause I like helping people,’’ she says.

Inside a historic greenhouse, 37 MUvolunteers loosen and scoop up aged dirtthat has been used over the years forflowers and vegetables at The Lands atHillside Farms. With the soil removed, the volunteers haul in fresh dirt for new plantings.

“I’ve done a lot of community service,’’acknowledges Jenna Reel ‘15, “but this isdifferent than anything I’ve ever done. It’sa good experience. We get to know moreof the area and get to know more peoplein our class. It helps to stay involved a lotbecause you are going to have to knowthe community and because a lot ofstudents would probably stop withcommunity service.’’

MisericordiaThe

Way

Freshman class introduced to University’s charisms duringinaugural Orientation Day of Service

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More than 500 members of the campuscommunity volunteered at Mercy Center, the Back Mountain Trail, Meadows NursingCenter, Francis Slocum State Park, The Lands at Hillside Farms, Blue ChipFarms, Camp Orchard Hill and the Dallas Senior Center.

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For a few hours on a late summermorning, Misericordia University studentswent back to grade school. They weren’tthere to refine their basic skills inmathematics or reading, but rather toassist a school community relocate itsclassrooms after regional floodingdestroyed the lower level of Holy RosaryGrade School in Duryea, Pa.

The damp stench of the LackawannaRiver still lingered in the lower level of theDiocese of Scranton school when 15students, faculty and staff fromMisericordia arrived on Friday, Sept. 16 tomove school supplies piece-by-piece tothe former St. Mary’s School in Avoca, Pa.

“Misericordia asked for volunteers andthey (Holy Rosary) really needed them,’’says Debbie Keys ‘15. “I knew I reallywanted to do it. I knew there was noother way I wanted to spend my Friday.

“Whether you’ve been affected by theflooding or not, it’s very important tohelp. It’s crazy thinking about thishappening at Misericordia. We’ve had anearthquake, a hurricane and a flood.Knowing it’s so close to Misericordiareally brings it into perspective. It’s ascary situation,’’ adds Keys.

Grade-by-grade, classroom-by-

classroom, scores of volunteers packedthe contents of the three-story schoolinto bags and boxes, and hauled themand desks for more than 200 students toAvoca so classes could resume Monday,Sept. 19. It will be some time before HolyRosary reopens as the flood watersdestroyed the furnace, as well as thelower-level library, cafeteria, and art andmusic rooms.

As Holy Rosary Grade Schoolkindergarten teacher Nancy Raffertyworked feverishly with other teachers toget their classrooms back in order in anew school and in a different town, theyheard the pace of the work pick up. Morevolunteers had arrived in Avoca to unloadthe trucks filled with school supplies.

“It’s overwhelming to see the responseof people we don’t even know,’’ saysRafferty, a kindergarten teacher at HolyRosary. “It’s comforting to know thatpeople care and they are there for you.The support has been great. God has ushere for a reason and we have to carryout the mission.’’

Starting in the parking lot, volunteersunloaded the trucks as they arrived andformed a bucket brigade to pass books,chairs and desks up one, two and then

three flights of stairs so teachers could puttheir classrooms back in order. The heavylifting, seasonable weather and formerlymoth-balled school made it a challengingendeavor, but the spirit of community wasalive throughout the move.

“It was tough work, but it feels good,’’acknowledges Colleen Noga ’14, an OTmajor. “It’s time and it’s hard work, butit’s worth it. The atmosphere ofeverybody being together is great.’’

Kristen Egbert ’11, bypassed anopportunity to go home and spend timewith her family and friends for herbirthday weekend. The daughter of Brianand Lynda Egbert thought it was moreappropriate to help flood victims.

“When I got the e-mail, I thought thiswould be a better way to spend mybirthday and help people here,’’ saysEgbert, who also aided cleanup efforts inNoxen, Pa., later in the evening. “I love it(the camaraderie). I think these guys(members of the Holy Cross and HolyRedeemer football teams) were greatwith the singing. I live in New Jersey, so meeting new people out here is a lot different. I’m glad I decided to get up and do it and not stay in my room all morning.’’

School

Students, faculty and staffhelp to relocate Holy Rosary

Grade School after floodwaters damage school

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Regional print and broadcast newsoutlets documented scores ofvolunteers relocating the school,including Kristen Egbert ‘11, farright, and other MU students, staff and faculty, at right.

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James Ricardo, the head coach of themen’s lacrosse team, can empathize withfellow residents of NortheasternPennsylvania as they face the uncertaintiesand worries that accompany flooding andthe long road to recovery.

As he stood beside a modestSusquehanna Avenue home in Exeter, hegave approving glances and nods to hisplayers as they lugged cinderblocks andscooped up debris from the basement of thehome and wheeled them to the banks of theSusquehanna River. “It shows thecommitment they have not only to the team,but also to the school,’’ the Binghamton,N.Y., native and Dallas Township residentsays quietly. “It demonstrates that theyunderstand what Misericordia is all about.’’

Ricardo and his entire team — 41members strong — volunteered for cleanupduty in Exeter and on Park Street in WestPittston on a sunny Saturday, Sept. 17 afterreceiving the call for assistance fromCampus Ministry. A few days after he madehis appeal to the players, they gatheredbehind the Anderson Sports and HealthCenter to form a caravan to travel fromcampus to the Greater Pittston area.

“Coach said everyone got hit hard,’’ saysJack Stang ’14. “We have a house in OceanCity, Md., and we got hit pretty hard withthe first hurricane. I thought it would begood to come down and help out. It’sdefinitely a feel-good kind of situation witheveryone here. It’s positive all around.’’

That exuberance also rubbed off on theLynch family, as they directed volunteers tovarious projects around their property andthen two doors down to the home of Mrs.Cindy Lynch’s father. “I feel fortunate,’’comments Mr. Greg Lynch, as he looks overhis mud-encrusted tools in the garage. “I’moverwhelmed with this help. You have to

have a big heart to do this and help yourneighbors when you don’t even know them.I feel fortunate compared to other people.’’

Ricardo also was counting his blessingsthat afternoon as well after he spent a fewsleepless evenings the week before worryingabout his mother and the family home inBinghamton that also was affected by recordflooding. At one point, Ricardo received aphone call from a family friend to let himknow his mother did not want to leave herhouse. After a phone call and a littlenudging by her son, Mrs. Tina Ricardoagreed to evacuate the house.

“It was tough knowing that she was alonein Binghamton and I was here,’’ saysRicardo, a husband and father of two. “Mychildhood home sustained a lot of flooddamage, but my main concern was mymother. Thankfully, she is alright.’’

For the lacrosse team, the cleanup sitesoffered different, but rewarding challenges.At the Lynch family home, the teamconcentrated its efforts on removing debrisfrom the once partially finished basement.Players removed belongings from a shed inthe rear of Mrs. Lynch’s father’s home.

“When I heard they needed volunteers, Ididn’t even think about it,’’ says Nick Kestler’14. “We just want to help because it’s justawful what these people are going through.We are trying to make a little difference andmake their lives better.’’

In West Pittston, the players were startingfrom scratch. The owners of 50 Park St. livein Allentown, Pa., and began their owncleanup efforts when the team arrived.Piece-by-piece, all the damaged remnants ofthe basement were removed and placedcurbside to be hauled away to a landfill.

“We completely moved everything out ofthe basement,’’ Ricardo says, “which hadtons of mud, water and who knows whatelse. It was a real experience for my youngmen to say the least.’’

Men’s lacrosse team helps 2

families recover from

flooding’s aftereffects

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Under the direction of coaches JimRicardo and Vincent Redko, everymember of the team volunteered for recovery efforts.

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The definitionof

T E A M

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A Lasting Impression

Irene and Lee leave

Students assistdevastated riversidecommunity recover from historic flood

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When a collection of MisericordiaUniversity volunteers descended uponMyo Beach in Wyoming County, Pa., onan unusually cold and muggy Saturdaymorning days into the fall semester, theyhad no idea what to expect. They hadheard and seen pictures of the untolddevastation this quaint, riversidecommunity experienced when theswollen Susquehanna River left its naturalbanks due to the one-two punch ofHurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

More than 30 miles from campus, theremnants of this idyllic community werescattered into disarray. Homes were tornfrom their foundations; park benches andtoys were clinging to tree branches; andmud-caked automobiles sat motionless— perhaps for good.

Randy Stark, an adjunct businessprofessor, grew up in the close-knitcommunity in Meshoppen, Pa. Hisparents, Rick and Holly Stark, were one ofthe dozens of families that had many, ifnot all, of their worldly possessionsdestroyed. “These houses werecompletely underwater,” says Stark, as his

eyes scanned over the damage. “This isbetter than it was, but some of thehouses are completely gone.”

Stark contacted Campus Ministryhoping they could organize a group ofstudents to help the displaced MyoBeach residents, many of whom areelderly and physically incapable ofcompleting the tasks of shovelingthrough debris or moving heavy timber,appliances, telephone poles and piles ofmud away from their properties.

“I didn’t even know where to begin,”Stark adds.

MU student volunteers, Ryan Hassick‘13, Jim Miller ‘14, Matt Leighow ’11 andAndrew Casanova ‘14, spent the morningand early afternoon carrying heavyappliances out of the homes and movinglarger branches and debris towards therapidly growing bon fire, while femalevolunteers shoveled and raked the lighterrubbish aside and sifted through the ruinshoping to salvage personal effects.Students occasionally consoleddistraught residents as they stood by andhelplessly watched as their material liveswere thrown onto the flames. The groupof students tried to brighten spirits byasking residents about their positiveexperiences of summer traditions, suchas rafting down the river and hostingcommunity pig roasts and barbecues.

Misericordia holds the tenet of Servicehighly, as do its students. For them,helping others is a major part of theircollege experiences and daily lives. “I likehelping people,” acknowledges Hassick,who is also actively involved with CampusMinistry. “I don’t know how students cansay there’s nothing to do on the weekendsat Misericordia. Look around you, thereare people in need of your help.”

Amanda Peslak ’14, also urges othersto give of their time to those in need. “Ilike to help, too,” she says. “I wish morepeople would do the same.”

Peslak has completed multiple terms asa Scholar in Service to Pennsylvania withthe national service organizationAmeriCorps. She is now serving as aCommunity Fellow at MU. She says thereis a constant need in the community, andas young, able-bodied students, it’s up tothem to provide the extra help. “If I was inthis situation, I wouldn’t know what to do.I know I’d appreciate the extra help andI’m glad to provide it,” she adds. “Thefact that we’re giving up our one Saturdayto help I’m sure makes a difference.”

Miller says the light flooding damageMisericordia experienced on Lake Streetis nothing compared to the extensivedamage that impacted area communities.

“We were upset and inconveniencedfor 24 hours,’’ he says. “These peoplehave been out of a home for at leastthree weeks.”

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Myo Beach sustained heavy damage fromfloodwaters. A team of MU students, topright, and at left, Ryan Hassick ‘13 and MattLeighow ‘11, helped residents piece theirlives back together.

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Josephine Mudcik, 87, knows thehistory of the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.,intimately. For 82 years, she’s lived at 22 W. Beatty St., in the Parsons section of the city and has never experiencedflood damage to her childhood and adult homestead.

As a child, she saw the damage anddevastation wrought by flooding in 1936and as an adult she experienced TropicalStorm Agnes in 1972. Subsequent high-water events also failed to affect thehome she grew up in and then raised herniece in with her late husband, Nicholas.That was until Tropical Storm Lee arrivedin September 2011.

The heavy rainfall and record-settingSusquehanna River level caused sewerlines to back up and seep into herbasement, and rainwater from nearbyHollenback Park to pond and eventuallyflow through the windows of her finishedbasement. By the time the river crestedand the rain had stopped, Mudcik’sbasement had accumulated about fourfeet of foul-smelling water.

Single and a month shy of her 87thbirthday, Mudcik knew that her healthand age would not allow her to cleanupfrom the flood’s aftermath. Afterreceiving some assistance fromneighbors, she placed a call toMisericordia University’s Campus Ministry office.

“I am very grateful because I couldn’tdo anything,’’ says Mudcik, a few days

after the cleanup operation. “I used to dothat kind of stuff, but I have a pacemakerand I’m a diabetic and I have otherproblems, too.

“I was really, really surprised how hard they worked,’’ she adds during aphone interview.

Misericordia University student JimMiller ’14 of Ashland, Pa., surveyed thedamage prior to everyone’s arrival andsecured crow bars, hammers and othernecessary tools from Wyoming ValleyHabitat for Humanity. A longtimevolunteer firefighter with the Washingtonand Fountain Springs Fire Departments in his hometown and with the Dallas Fireand Ambulance Department, the son ofJohn and Ann Marie Miller alsovolunteered at Myo Beach and atevacuation shelters and with pumpingdetails around the Dallas area.

For this operation, Conor Brennan ‘15,Stockholm, N.J.; Emily Kudlacik ‘15,Parsippany, N.J.; Johnna Miller ‘15, ‘16,Wapwallopen, Pa.; Kelly Studwell ‘16,Glen Gardner, N.J.; Jesi Swoboda ‘14,Price, Texas; Maria Weidemoyer ‘16,Perkiomenville, Pa.; and Miller tore downdrywall and removed a raised floor and cabinetry.

“I was very shocked that these girlscould do all that work and the twogentlemen were terrific,’’ says Mudcik. “I was thinking to myself, ‘what are theselittle ones going to do with crowbars.’They had all this down in two to three

hours and it was two cellars that theyreally worked on.’’

The Misericordia University campuscommunity assisted regional residentswith recovery efforts. Teams of volunteerstraveled to Wyoming County to work inMeshoppen, Tunkhannock and Noxen,and also helped residents and othervolunteers in Avoca, Duryea, Exeter, WestPittston and other communities.

“I felt good about helping the elderlywoman because there was no way shewould have been able to perform thework herself,’’ says Miller. “I am anoccupational therapy major because I enjoy helping others. I see this in mostof the health science majors, as they are often seen volunteering at different events.’’

“I decided to volunteer my time andhelp because Wilkes-Barre was greatlyaffected by the flooding and I wanted tohelp as much as I could because it is whatI enjoy doing,’’ adds Kudlacik, a nursingmajor. “Helping others in need is a verysatisfying feeling because you are makinga person’s life better. I also enjoyinteracting with the person I am helpingbecause it feels even better to get toknow them and know how grateful andappreciative they are.

“I would definitely recommendvolunteering to others because it getsyou involved with different communitiesand makes you feel like a better person,’’Kudlacik says.

A NeighborDistress

Students answer the call of

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Student Johnna Miller ‘15, ‘16, bottom right, carries a flood-damagedcountertop with Emily Kudlacik ‘15,while above fellow students, from left,Kelly Studwell ‘16, Jesi Swoboda ‘14and Maria Weidemoyer ‘16 beginremoving debris from the basement.

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in Need

Campus Ministry spearheads ayearlong service project in Noxen

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Adoptinga Community

Misericordia University student Chelsea Mixon ‘12, left and below right,poses for a picture with food pantry co-chairs Margaret Holmgren and PearlRace, and Rev. Linda Bryan.

Fueled by a desire to make a differencein the region, Campus Ministry hasorganized a yearlong community outreachprogram to assist those in need in nearbyNoxen, Pa. About 11 miles from campus,the community has a significantly lowerincome level compared to the nationalaverage and has a higher percentage ofresidents and families living near or belowthe poverty level, according to 2000 U.S.Census data.

Community services in the small, ruralcommunity of about 1,630 residents werestretched in 2011 by government budgetcuts and severely damaged infrastructurethat was caused by flooding fromHurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Student volunteers are providingassistance to a variety of organizationsand populations in Noxen. Spearheadingthe effort is Chelsea Mixon ‘12, a socialwork major, who has undertaken theproject as part of an internship with theSocial Work Department.

When the heavy rainstorms struckback-to-back just weeks into the fallsemester, Mixon immediately steppedinto action and helped coordinatestudent cleanup efforts at dozens ofhomes in the community. “Chelsea was aGod-send during the flooding,” says Rev.Linda Bryan, pastor of the Noxen UnitedMethodist Church. “If it wasn’t for herhelping bring student volunteers to ourarea, people would still be trying to cleanout their houses.”

Mixon is also helping Pastor Bryan staffthe Food Pantry, where about 80 familiesin the region are served each month.During her weekly visits, Mixon helps to

stock the shelves and assists a team ofchurch volunteers that helps the familiesselect their monthly allotment. The adultscouldn’t be more thrilled by her help,which often means making more than 30trips up and down the flight of stairs to thebasement facility, carrying cartons ofcanned goods and supplies. “She is suchan amazing help to us,” says Pearl Race, aretired nurse who formalized the operationof the food pantry in 2007. “Chelsea isvibrant, ambitious and responsible. If thereis something that needs to be done, youcan count on her to do it.”

Mixon also assists Pastor Bryan on visitsto elderly residents of the region who arehomebound, and is coordinatingassistance from MU students in the healthscience majors, such as physical therapy,occupational therapy, nursing andspeech-language pathology, as needed.

Under Mixon’s direction, Misericordiavolunteers are also helping to organizeand sort clothing weekly at thecommunity’s Clothes Closet, a clothingbank set up by a local communitydevelopment group. A group of studentsrecently delivered a van full of clothing tothe Clothes Closet as a part of its efforts.

Misericordia students Sarah Munley‘13, an early childhood and specialeducation major from Vernon, N.J., andAlina Busch ‘14, a social work major fromWaldorf, Md., are also offering an after-school tutoring program for grades 3through 6 at the Lake Noxen ElementarySchool. The tutoring sessions are helpingdozens of local children.

The Noxen Library was also on thereceiving end of the students’ efforts. The

Sigma Tau Delta Chapter, the internationalEnglish Honor Society, held a book drive inthe fall and donated a portion of thebooks to the flood-damaged library.

Mixon says the student outreach in theNoxen community will continuethroughout the spring semester. She saysher goals include continuing efforts at thefood pantry, and increasing the level ofhelp at the library and clothing bank.

According to the 2000 U.S. census, themedian income for a family in NoxenTownship was $35,833, compared to$50,046 in the U.S. The per capita incomefor the township was $14,488, comparedto $21,587 nationally. In the community,13.8 percent live below the poverty line,compared to 9.20 percent in the nation.The rate of individuals in the communitywho live below the poverty line is 17.1percent, compared to the U.S. rate of12.4 percent.

Donations to the Noxen project arewelcome and can be made by contactingCampus Ministry at MisericordiaUniversity at (570) 674-6495.

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I have to admit I was excited when Ifirst heard the Fall Break Service Tripbeing offered by Campus Ministry was toan organic farm. Most of the trips offeredthrough Campus Ministry focus onhumanity-based social justice issues, suchas the rights and dignity of the humanperson, the dignity of work, or thepreferential option for the poor andvulnerable. But the Sisters of Mercy, thefounders and sponsors of MisericordiaUniversity, also see the care of the earthas a critical concern, and work toreverence it and create a sustainableenvironment for us to live.

The New Dawn Earth Center is alsosponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Ittakes the best of both worlds bycombining education and physical laborto teach the importance and correlationof mankind to the environment. This tripsurely promised to be unlike any otheroffered by the University and I think thatis why it had such a draw.

Sister Denise Truscott, RSM, thedirector of the center in Cumberland, R.I.,had a lengthy and extensive list of taskswe were expected to accomplishthroughout our four days with her. Wehad 11 students and two chaperones tosplit the work assigned to us. As wefound out, the old saying, “many handsmake light work,” is true. Each day, weblazed through our tasks and found timefor some extracurricular activities, such asa hayride, a stop at the ice cream stand

and participating in an ecumenicalharvest moon festival where weexperienced Buddhist chanting, NativeAmerican singing, a night hike and adrum circle.

Throughout our time with SisterDenise, we accomplished many things forthe center. Six saplings were relocated,the herb garden was weeded and cutback, crops were planted, plant bedswere cleared, a deck was stained, and thetrail system was cleared and maintained.In addition to all our physical labor, wealso learned about the economicalbenefits of buying goods that are locallyproduced. We ate organic meals and gota taste of vegetarian cooking withvegetables that we had handpicked.

The morning we were scheduled toleave was certainly bittersweet. We hadall forged bonds with Sister Denise andmembers of the staff at New Dawn —and especially with one another. I think Ican speak on behalf of the whole groupwhen I say the entire trip was extremelyrewarding. It was gratifying to see thephysical differences we made on the farmand to see immediate results andimprovements. It was rewarding to knowthat we were doing our part, thoughsmall as it may be, to tend to the earthand care for God’s creations. While someof our tasks may have seemed trivial, theywere things that needed to be done forthe sisters and would have fell by thewayside had we not helped. When itcame time to say our final goodbyes,Sister Denise presented each of us withour own homemade and personalized

certificate of appreciation on behalf ofNew Dawn. That was the most satisfyingmoment of the trip.

A fall break service trip seemed almostnatural to me. While most other studentswere returning home to see family andfriends, I looked forward to getting awayand offering a hand to someone whoneeded it. I believe that service is a two-fold experience that not only benefitsthose receiving the service, but those whoare giving it as well. Based on past serviceexperiences, I knew this trip would beenergizing and fulfilling, and I knew that’sjust what I needed to kick off my senioryear. For so much of my Misericordiaeducation, service has been the catalystthat prompted me to step outside myselfand do bigger and better things for myselfand for others. It was almost secondnature to sign up for such a trip.

Overall, the fall break trip allowed all ofus to take some time from an alreadycrazy semester to refocus on what isimportant. We learned a lot about theenvironment and about each other. Weforged new friendships whileexemplifying Misericordia’s charisms ofmercy and service. What better way tospend fall break!

In TuneWith NatureStudents learn about sustainability of life on fall break service trip

Students, top left, Shannon Kowalski ‘12, Sarah West, ‘14 and Rachel Brooks ‘13, take a breakfrom working, while classmate Mark Werger ‘12, right, clears brush. At bottom right, studentspose for a picture in Campus Ministry before departing.

STORY BY SHANNON KOWALSKI ‘12

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