Liberty University students, faculty, and staff continue to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in Lynchburg and beyond
DISASTER RELIEF: From Jan. 2-8, Liberty’s Serve Now program, in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, sent a team of six students and two group leaders to Whatcom County, Wash., to assist families whose properties had been devastated by flooding in November. They visited the towns of Lynden and Sumas, where they removed insulation and did mud-outs. The disaster relief team worked on a total of seven homes and prayed with and presented a Bible to every homeowner. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association chaplains were also present to continue spiritual conversations and offer counseling.
(Photo by Ellie Richardson)
MLK DAY OF SERVICE: At 10 different locations on Jan. 24, Liberty students stood ready to serve their community during the university’s first-ever MLK Day of Service. The initiative was originally scheduled for Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, before a snowstorm warranted the rescheduling. The event was hosted by LU Serve in partnership with Liberty’s Office of Equity & Inclusion. “Education and service go hand in hand as we remember the life, sacrifices, and ministry of Martin Luther King Jr.,” LU Serve Executive Director Lew Weider said. “I am so proud of our students and the partnerships Liberty University has with community organizations as they make a positive difference in the lives of our neighbors.” Site assignments varied from sorting clothing at Park View Community Mission to working in the warehouse at Gleaning For The World in nearby Concord, Va., and property cleanup at the downtown Lynchburg Daily Bread.
(Photo by KJ Jugar)
BLOOD DRIVES: LU Serve and the Office of Equity & Inclusion partnered with the American Red Cross to hold two large-scale blood drives this school year: a special two-day event in October where students could help those suffering with the Sickle Cell Anemia blood disease and another in February to combat what the Red Cross called its worst shortage in over a decade. Liberty’s Student Health & Wellness department and the School of Nursing were also partners in the drive, which drew close to 200 student participants.
(Photo by Chase Reed)
SNACKS FOR SOLDIERS: In February, students from Professor David Wheeler’s Evangelism 101 classes raised nearly $2,000 to purchase snacks, toilet paper, baby wipes, and other items for about 200 soldiers serving in an undisclosed region of the world. An adjunct faculty member who once worked with the soldiers’ unit as a contractor alerted Liberty to the need. The soldiers had been experiencing some setbacks as they served in the cold desert wind on the front line of freedom. The students also wrote encouraging notes for the soldiers. “This is the heart of Liberty,” Wheeler said. “These kids love those they don’t even know. This is what my class is about. It’s about living out the Gospel.”
(Photo by Kendall Tidwell)
After publication, Liberty held its annual Serve Lynchburg outreach event. On April 23, close to 1,300 Liberty University students, faculty, and staff covered the Lynchburg community and surrounding areas to serve at almost 100 different locations. Read more at Liberty.edu/News.
