Samantha Woolcock

Tuesdays 2:20-3:10
As a freshman here at Seton Hill University, I am trying to make myself at home

here on the hill. With that being said, I have attended events that have covered many of

the four pillars: welcoming; celebrating; serving; and learning. My favorite event that I

attended on campus including the act of serving. After while church one Sunday at

Otterbein United Methodist Church, which resides on the downtown campus, I found

God calling me to sign up in the back of the congregation for Feeding the Spirit.

This has become my favorite event to attend while at Seton Hill. I have had the

responsibility of guiding the elderly through the line of food helping them carry their

plates. I have had the responsibility of sorting and handing out donated clothing items

and canned goods. Most importantly, I have had the responsibility of spreading God’s

word through service. As a volunteer for Feeding the Spirit every Thursday, I have had

this great opportunity to give to those who are less privileged than I.

With Feeding the Spirit, I have been able to help feed the hungry and clothe the

cold. I take my volunteering responsibilities seriously because I know that if I was on

the receiving end, someone would be selfless enough to take care of me. In my home

town, I often volunteered at our local food pantry. This was were my love for

volunteering originated and was a great way to help the struggling families in my

surrounding school district. As I moved to Seton Hill, I told myself that I would not let

my volunteering responsibilities get away from me no matter how busy I got. I am proud

of myself for following through with the principles I always lived by at home.

As for the other volunteers, there is an ambassador that is in charge of keeping

track of what students volunteer at this amazing service opportunity. Most of the

volunteers are those from Seton Hill. This makes sense because as my Pastor Dawn
 Samantha Woolcock

Tuesdays 2:20-3:10
told me, their church is completely surrounded by campus and regularly declared part of

campus due to all it does for the students.

This church is considered part of campus because not only is it surrounded by

the university's property, but also, it gives back to the students. For example, last

Monday, there was a cupcake and coffee event where the church baked hundreds of

cupcakes, so Seton Hill students could have them for free. This reminds me of home

because, in my home town, anybody would do anything for their neighbors. This is

equivalent to Otterbein United Methodist Church and Feeding the Spirit.

Even though this event is primarily under the pillar of service, I would consider it

welcoming as well because I found out about it through the church that Sister Mo

recommended for me. Sister Mo welcomed me to attend the Catholic masses on

campus, but when I politely declined, she was thrilled to recommend me to Otterbein

United Methodist Church where I found the most welcoming congregation. As for

Feeding the Spirit specifically, we welcome anyone to attend the meal that is in

desperate need. Also, we celebrate each other’s presence as we pray together and

enjoy each other’s company at dinner where we learn about one another. As you can

see, even though this event is primarily serving, it also falls under the pillars of

welcoming, celebrating, and learning.

This past month, I have had such a wonderful time seeing how easy it is to put a

smile on these hungry community members’ faces. It is for the sole purpose of feeling

at home and serving others that I am certain I will continue to serve this community at

Feeding the Spirit every Thursday until the end of this semester.
 Samantha Woolcock

Tuesdays 2:20-3:10
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