Acts of Service

"We performed volunteer work for the Chicago Food Depositary.  This was a very rewarding activity for all that participated and it embodied the spirit of NLU by showing support and performing a meaningful activity for those in need."

"As a former teacher and current staff member, I feel my best when helping others. During lunch breaks, I walk along Lake Michigan near my Chicago office — a meditative escape from screens. I pick up litter to care for my community, protect our drinking water, and support the creatures who call the lake home. As a member of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, I report collected debris so it can be analyzed and addressed. Small acts, shared widely, truly matter. Visit https://greatlakes.org/ to find easy ways to help."

"In a moment when it's easy to feel helpless about what's happening across the country, volunteering with Market Box gave me something I didn't expect: hope. Seeing people come together to support their community reminded me that goodness is still happening all around us. This experience didn't just feel meaningful; it felt like a direct expression of NLU's values of access and equity lived out in real time."

"It felt soul-filling to be in community with my peers, getting the food ready for the BHM event hosted by BSEEN. All hands were on deck, reminding us that we are better together."

"I performed my act of service by checking attendees in at the opening ceremonies at the Chicago campus, 122 S. Michigan Ave. I felt great meeting and greeting attendees and enjoyed connecting with people I don't often have a chance to interact with."

"After shoveling snow and salting the sidewalks in my neighborhood, I felt cold — but if I'm being honest, I also felt proud. Most of my neighbors are seniors who would have a tough time shoveling and risk slipping and injuring themselves. So I went around clearing their sidewalks and salting them while they remained safely indoors, warm and comfortable. Performing this service helped me embody the NLU spirit, which I understand to be about drawing closer to your community and helping those in need. Seniors, even if they are strangers to us, are the foundation upon which our future is built. Without them and their sacrifices, we would not have what we have today."

“I look forward to serving at the People's Resource Center (PRC) Food Pantry every Wednesday because the environment reminds me of the supportive, welcoming, personalized, high-touch culture that I find in every interaction at NLU. The warmth, camaraderie, teamwork, and personal initiative of the pantry volunteer team transforms food insecurity into a community-rich, mom-and-pop grocery store experience for our neighbors. At PRC, I find an energizing alignment to the values that also distinguish NLU - innovation, access, excellence, and equity - and serving in this way deepens my connection to the NLU spirit as well.”

“I volunteered on the Wheeling Campus today with the Welcome Week Therapy dog vision board and bag making event. I love these opportunities to connect with students in a fun and informal way!”

“I felt volunteering was fun and a great opportunity to meet students, staff and community members.”

"Packing boxes at St. Mary's Food Bank on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a deeply meaningful experience, especially given NLU's long-standing commitment to community service. Following the government shutdown, food insecurity became increasingly visible in Phoenix, making the work feel urgent and necessary. In just two hours, our group of volunteers packed over 1,000 boxes of food for seniors — a powerful reminder of what collective effort can accomplish. Knowing that our work would help someone eat was profoundly humbling, and I would gladly volunteer again, because the need never ends."

“We gathered as a team to serve a meal at the Sunday Soup kitchen to show our spirit for serving our community!”

"I participated in theMLK Day of Service at my local library.  The Evanston chapter of AlphaKappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. coordinates a daylong service project forlocal  residents to come out and take part in annually.  The chapterorganizes an activity to sew pads for people in our town experiencinghomelessness, as well as students in Ghana who cannot attend school due to lackof access to sanitary supplies.  I was proud to wear my NLU shirt thisyear as I used my sewing skills to help my neighbors and promote access to education.”

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