GO Local Bridges Gap
Sep 30, 2009
What happens when a university full of young people connects with outside charities to make a difference in the local community?
That’s what organizers of the GO Local event are hoping to find out. The event was held on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the Cornerstone University dining commons.
“We want students to become aware of ministry opportunities,” said Larry Rice, director of community life for Cornerstone. “GO Local will bridge the gap between students and the community. It’ll get them out of the Cornerstone ‘bubble.’”
Rice is hoping that faculty and staff members might also become more connected because of GO Local.
Kelly Ellis, director of Sabaoth Ministries’ Base Camp, believes that GO Local is already achieving its purpose.
“This event was wonderful,” said Ellis, a Cornerstone alumni. “It provides agencies with exposure and awareness for students. It’s one setting with a wide variety of opportunities.”
GO Local was previously known as Civitas Festivus. Since then, the program has been downscaled to provide a more intimate setting with ministries that Cornerstone has partnered extensively with, said Rice.
About 20 to 25 local charities and non-profit organizations sent representatives to Cornerstone, including: Urban Family Ministries, Sabaoth Ministries, Pregnancy Resource Center, Habitat for Humanity and TheCommon.org.
Rice expects TheCommon.org to play a large role on campus this year.
“It is a social networking site geared toward connecting strengths to needs,” said Rice. “We’re hopeful that it will play a large part in connecting our campus to the broader community.”
The Web site uses a social networking model that students are familiar with to help them and organizations that are in need find help.
Several area churches, as well as six Cornerstone University clubs were represented.
For more information about service opportunities, visit www.cornerstone.edu/departments/spiritual_formation/.
