1,300 APSU Volunteers Give 3,105 Hours to Clarksville

More than 1,300 people from Austin Peay State University proved that showing up for your community is the best way to start a new semester. Students, faculty, and staff contributed 3,105 volunteer hours across Clarksville, Tennessee, supporting 33 different nonprofits in a single day.

The fourth annual "Peayple in the Community" event brought the campus together for causes ranging from animal care to fighting hunger. Volunteers packaged 40,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger, earning the university its 100,000 meals milestone award after five years of partnership.

Freshman Brayden Cotterman helped organize book donations for Candy for the Mind, a program that gives free books to trick-or-treaters instead of candy. "Having a day to volunteer is always nice, and you get a lot more out of it than you might think," he said.

For veterinary technology major Emmy McKiness, the day offered hands-on learning at Montgomery County Animal Care and Control. She and fellow students cleaned kennels, worked on animal enrichment, and gained real experience in shelter operations.

Other volunteers built water filtration systems with the nonprofit Wine to Water, helping provide clean drinking water to communities without access. Sustainability coordinator Kayla Miller-Zapata said the project opened students' eyes to global water issues while building their interest in hydrology.

The Salvation Army received critical help reorganizing its thrift store donation area. The store has issued $18,000 in vouchers for clothing and furniture over six weeks to help local families, and faster processing means more support for those in need.

The Ripple Effect

Over 70 people signed up to donate blood with Blood Assurance, which supplies 80 to 90 percent of blood for local hospitals during a national shortage. Dr. Tasha Ruffin, who coordinated the drive, said seeing young adults think about their community and peers was "really awesome."

University President Mike Licari summed up the day's impact perfectly. "Students, faculty, and staff were out in the community lending a hand, working with partners and giving back to the place they call home," he said.

For many freshmen, this volunteer day was their first official activity as Austin Peay students, teaching them from day one that being part of their university family means showing up and leaving a positive mark wherever possible.