On Saturday, Sept. 22, the Bennion Center will host the 15th annual Legacy of Lowell Saturday Service Project (SSP). Each September, the Bennion Center organizes a day dedicated to service focused on inviting University of Utah students, staff, faculty and alumni to get involved in the greater Salt Lake City community.
“Our Legacy of Lowell Saturday Service Project (SSP) is named in honor of Lowell Bennion, a former dean of students at the University of Utah who made a habit of convening groups on Saturday mornings to help those in need,” said Eric Nhem, the student programs coordinator at the Bennion Community Service Center.
The project events begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, but the kick-off celebration starts at 8 a.m. Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Snyder and Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski will speak during the celebration that morning along with Bennion Center Executive Director Dean McGovern.
There are 30 possible service opportunities available to participants, categorized into five topics: education and advocacy, health and ability, intercultural engagement, social justice and sustainability and food justice. Projects in each category vary on registration spots, required attire, age and location, but all are specifically tailored to serve the Salt Lake community.
“The service events were chosen based on the needs of the community. We tried to be as diverse as possible in the thirty projects we offer,” Nhem said. “The goal of Legacy of Lowell is to allow volunteers to perform concrete acts of service, such as weeding and gardening or making quilts for people with refugee status. It’s important for volunteers to have tangible evidence of the work they perform because it makes the service more meaningful.”
Projects vary from preparing craft kits for the playroom at Primary Children’s Hospital over at the Bennion Center, to tending the Rose Park Community Garden, to undergoing screener training at the Glendale/Mountain View Community Learning Center.
“I’ve always had a passion for service, but not enough time to do it consistently,” said Jeffrey Wang, a senior double-majoring in marketing and management. “After serving on an Alternative Break last Spring, I realized there are tons of service opportunities that I can take more advantage of, like Legacy of Lowell. I’m super excited to finally be participating in this as a senior alongside fellow University of Utah students and friends and I’m excited to see the impact we can have.”
The event begins at 8 a.m. at Glendale Middle School. Breakfast burritos will be served starting at 8 a.m. until the events officially begin. Service projects happening off-site will start at 9:15 a.m. to allow for travel time.
For more information about the Legacy of Lowell Saturday Service Project or to register, visit https://bennioncenter.org/about/events/legacy-lowell.php.
