Acts of Service

I led a small team of NLU folks in hosting one of our partners, ReDefiners World Languages (RWL), in their celebration/graduation of the students in grades K-5 who they had been tutoring. This picture is me with one of the RWL tutors in front of a table of books that were given to the little graduates. I also donated books.

Community service has always been a core part of who I am. Volunteering at the food pantry—often with my 16-year-old son by my side—leaves me feeling humbled and hopeful, inspired by the resilience and kindness within my community.

That same sense of purpose is what makes being part of National Louis University so meaningful. NLU's mission to provide access, empower students, and create pathways for social mobility is the reason I'm here. It's incredibly rewarding to contribute to an organization where our work has a tangible, lasting impact on individuals, families, and communities.

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This weekend, as an act of service and charity I went and donated blood. Donating blood left me feeling both humbled and grateful. It was a simple process that only took a short amount of time, but knowing that my donation could help save someone’s life made it feel incredibly meaningful. It reminded me that small acts of generosity, like giving up 45 minutes of your weekend and getting stuck with a needle- can have a real and lasting impact.

I volunteer on the Friends Board of the Highwood Public Library and Community Center.  Each week I pick up food and deliver to two families in need.  Our program is currently feeding 42 families with 10 bags of groceries each week.

Volunteering at Share Our Spare through the eKiwanis Club of Greater Chicago gave me a meaningful opportunity to serve my community. I helped sort clothing for infants ages three to twelve months and prepared packs of ten outfits for parents to pick up throughout the week. It felt rewarding to know that a simple task could meet a real need — infant clothes are expensive, and many families face financial pressures. Contributing to a system that helps parents access essential items felt both practical and impactful. This experience embodied the NLU spirit by turning values like service, compassion, and community engagement into tangible action for Chicago families.

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It felt great being able to help prepare food for those who need it.

This act of service was the final event in my more than 15 years of volunteering with our Cub Scout Pack. This dinner and recognition ceremony was recognizing the efforts of all the 5th graders moving on to the older scout group (my youngest was among them) and the adults who supported them throughout their time with the pack. Watching the kids learn about the world through their own acts of service was a joy. Last fall we collected over 7000 items for the local food pantry in our annual food drive; the kids were ecstatic. The impact we have together as a group is humbling, and the small ripples of change from each kid can eventually create big waves.

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"For my act of service, I packed boxes at Feed My Starving Children, where volunteers pack bags of rice combined with soy, vegetables, and vitamins that are shipped to malnourished kids worldwide. These packs can be life-saving, healing children from extreme malnutrition. The experience is simple yet meaningful — set to music, you form an assembly line and fall into a meditative, reflective state. Growing up, volunteering as a family was always a priority, making this especially personal. On this particular day, our group packed 47 boxes containing 36 bags each, totaling 10,152 meals — enough to feed 27 kids a daily meal for an entire year. A powerful reminder of how small actions create enormous impact."

"I deeply enjoyed devoting time and energy in a way that has an immediate and direct impact on our community. I also appreciated the opportunity to spend time with colleagues outside our daily routines; it was wonderful to engage with one another beyond our regular roles. Our day at the Greater Chicago Food Depository supports NLU's spirit of access, engagement, and supporting the health and well-being of our shared community."

"Volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository with the NLU leadership team was both humbling and energizing. Packing nearly 6,000 pounds of food reminded me that service is not abstract—it’s tangible and immediate. Each box represented a family navigating food insecurity, and that awareness made the work deeply personal.

Serving in this way helped me embody the NLU spirit by aligning action with mission. We talk often about access, opportunity, and meeting community needs. This was a direct expression of those values. Leadership isn’t only about strategy; it’s about showing up. Working side by side with colleagues reinforced our shared commitment to service and to Chicago. It was a powerful reminder that our mission extends beyond campus walls and lives in the communities we serve."

"Spending several hours at the Greater Chicagoland Food Depository as part of our 140 Acts of Service initiative was both grounding and energizing. Our leadership team worked side by side sorting donations and boxing food for families facing food insecurity across the region. The work was physical and fast-paced, but what stood out most was our shared sense of purpose — every box we packed represented real meals for real people. Serving alongside colleagues in this context was equally powerful, reminding me that leadership isn't only about conference room decisions, but about showing up and contributing directly to the well-being of the communities we serve."

"Before completing my act of service, I felt genuinely excited to volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository — both to give back and to work alongside my colleagues in a meaningful way. It was incredibly rewarding to connect with my team while knowing our efforts would directly support families experiencing food insecurity. Every task contributed to a larger mission of care and community impact. This experience truly reflects the spirit of National Louis University and its commitment to service beyond the classroom. NLU is more than a university — it is an institution dedicated to serving and uplifting its students and the communities in which they live."