Out of the 1,500 registered volunteers at Mack Gives Back Days this year, about 150 first-year students from eight separate classes got their first taste of Merrimack College’s longstanding commitment to service work.
“It was up to each class on who wanted to participate,” explained Andrea Wamboldt, director of Merrimack’s First Year Experience program. “The benefits are twofold – it’s a bonding exercise for the freshmen and we’re giving back to the community.”
Nicholas DiSalvatore, assistant professor of practice, met the call and signed up his first-year theology class.
“We’re participating in a very special Merrimack tradition,” he explained. “I wanted to do this as a way to build community with my students. As a class, we’ve been getting close over the weeks. I think it’s a good use of our class time.”
Two student volunteers included Ginger Garcia ’29 and Tim Sullivan ’29, who are both Austin Scholars. They were convinced their groups had packed the most apple cinnamon oatmeal meals out of any other assembly line.
“This has been really fun,” said Garcia. “Everyone here has been so welcoming and talkative. I definitely plan on doing this again.”
Sullivan said he learned of Mack Gives Back Days even before he applied to Merrimack.
“I love doing service,” he continued. “I visited Merrimack as a high school senior and I felt like I really connected with its mission of community through service. I’m going to continue staying active on campus and keep checking my emails for other service opportunities.”
In total, volunteers packed 175,000 nonperishable meals on Nov. 10 and 11, up from the 150,000 packed last year. Meals were packed in assembly lines throughout the Sakowich Campus Center and were then given to the Outreach Program for distribution. Mack Gives Back Days is proudly sponsored by BJ’s Wholesale Club.
“We have these packages going out to 11 different food pantries,” explained Rileigh Armstrong, associate director of Campus Ministry and one of the lead organizers of the event. “They include Lazarus House and Neighbors in Need in Lawrence, which we collaborate with during Thanksgiving.”
Vice President for Mission and Ministry the Rev. Raymond Dlugos, O.S.A., Ph.D., started Mack Gives Back in 2012 to commemorate Saint Augustine’s birthday on Nov. 13 and Veterans Day. Today, Mack Gives Back encompasses the breadth of the College’s service work and initiatives during the holiday season, including the Thanksgiving basket drive, holiday toy drive and gift card drive.
