Last week, 230 Elizabethtown College students participated in the 27th annual Into the Streets community service project.

Rather than being a single day of service like in past years, Into the Streets ran from Saturday, October 24 until Friday, October 30 to allow for flexibility and social distancing. However, some things remained traditional. Each year the event takes on the theme. This year’s theme was the worker bee which lent to the “Buzzing” Into the Streets moniker.

In prior years, students spent the day completing projects like raking or winterizing the homes of people in the community and helping out at the Elizabethtown Fall Fest. This year, in order to follow COVID-19 guidelines, students completed projects remotely or in small groups. Students were able to pick up the supplies needed to complete their projects at scheduled times and then returned to drop off the finished products once they were completed.

There were 15 different projects offered on campus, including making cards for nursing homes as well as first responders. Other projects included making craft kits for children, dog toys for local animal shelters, LuoPads for women who don’t have access to feminine hygiene products, hygiene kits for individuals impacted by disaster, and many others. Some projects, like recording yourself reading children’s books to share with preschools in the community, could be done entirely remotely.

Sharon Sherick, the Program Coordinator for the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, credits the students for the success of the event.

“Into the Streets could not be possible without the remarkable student workers we have at the Center for Community and Civic Engagement and all the amazing Etown College students that put time and effort into the projects,” she said.

Hannah Smith, a student assistant for the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, believes Into the Streets is an important tradition on our campus, no matter the format.

“I think the event is humbling for students, and it is important to be out in the community helping others,” she said. “As students, we are so focused on our own lives, classes, and paths, so it’s good to take that step back from our sometimes-narrow worldview to help others and recognize their struggles as well.”