The 34th annual Step Forward Day was held at Pepperdine University on Sept. 10. Participants included current students, teachers, staff, and graduates who returned for a day of rewarding community service.
This year, 640 individuals participated in the annual Day of Service, which the Hub organized for Spiritual Life's Office of Community Engagement and Service in collaboration with more than 20 local nonprofit and public organizations in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
Celebrating 34th Annual Step Forward Day
The day after the 2021 event, last year on Sept. 12, the planning for Step Forward Day 2022 began.
According to Olivia Robinson, the assistant director of Community Engagement and Service, the information is gathered right after an event. It is used to make notes about how things could be better and helps guide the planning decisions made later in the year.
The team's preparation paid off, as the number of volunteers who showed up on Sept. 10 was significantly higher than expected. This included members of Pepperdine Athletics, student clubs, and even students in the same first-year seminar.
According to Pepperdine News, this year marked the inaugural year of a partnership between Pepperdine and the K-12 school that now occupies the site of Pepperdine's original Los Angeles campus, the Frederick K. C. Price III Christian Schools.
Student volunteers from Pepperdine assisted teachers in making classrooms more inviting and beautiful learning environments.
Meanwhile, Project 43 is a nonprofit that was formed in the midst of the pandemic to help those in need.
They have hosted events such as toy drives, networking gatherings, free cultural outings, free COVID-19 testing, and a farmstand where people can buy fresh, locally grown produce, per the report.
Robinson explained that in addition to workshops that assist people in learning marketable skills like coding and using audio equipment, it also offers classes that teach people how to live healthier lifestyles, like planting and caring for a garden.
She also talked about how the Step Forward Day volunteers helped Project 43 organize the 2,000 books just donated and how the students and staff formed a close bond.
As per the report, other partner groups, such as 5Journeys, a nonprofit regenerative and organic farm located in Topanga Canyon, also had a great time celebrating their first Step Forward Day.
About Hub for Spiritual Life
The Pepperdine community is encouraged to participate in dynamic and consistent experiences of worship and spiritual care provided by the Hub for Spiritual Life.
Their aim, anchored in the religious tradition, is to design and integrate various programs, training, and resources to cultivate a lively and consistent spiritual life at the university.
According to the university, they acknowledge and rejoice that they are only a piece of the larger spiritual experience. Students are supported in a wide variety of settings, including lecture halls, dorm rooms, sports teams, study abroad programs, online courses, student organizations, and more.
As a group, they work to ensure that locals have access to any and all opportunities for spiritual growth that may be relevant to them.
Members of the Hub for Spiritual Life assemble to celebrate God through praise, prayers of thanksgiving and lament, and expressions of hope, all while trying to figure out what they're supposed to be doing with their lives.
