Some Lehigh staff volunteered to help take care of rescued animals at the Gress Mountain Ranch. Others volunteered at the Miller Blood Center, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Bethany Ministries.
It was all part of the national MLK Day of Service, which encourages people across the country to volunteer to improve their communities in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King. As a university-sponsored program, Lehigh granted staff time off to volunteer for part or all of the day with local community organizations.
Lehigh photographer Christa Neu was among a group of Lehigh staff who volunteered at the Gress Mountain Ranch in Orefield and cleaned animal spaces. The nonprofit believes that animals help people and people help animals, Neu said. The organization, which relies on volunteers, works with troubled youth to develop social skills and teamwork skills, as well as with counselors and therapists.
“Here was a chance to actually go out and do something in the community in service. My hope is that MLK Day of Service is not just an isolated day of service. I hope this experience has motivated many of us to continue volunteering throughout the year. ” Neu said.
“There was something very healing about helping these rescued animals who themselves help so many people in our community,” she said. “The hoses were frozen, so we needed to carry many five gallon buckets of water to clean and water the animals’ spaces. We drained, mopped and refilled a duck pond. … It was very rewarding to work together to do a hard thing and see how it helped.”
You can watch the volunteers in action here.
