“Service Organization Trying to Heed “Call”
Daily News Article from August 9, 2010:
A North Huntingdon Township-based service organization is taking its message across the country, and it’s looking for a few donations to help the cause.
The Call to Serve, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching young adults the power of public service through local and national volunteer experiences, is launching its first fall campus tour to help encourage new participants and showcase their previous trip to a broader audience.
One potential roadblock is the current state of the group’s RV, nicknamed Black Beauty, which serves as the primary means of transportation.
“Our RV is obviously the keystone of our organization,” said Andrew Blythe, co-founder and director of volunteer services. “For us to continue to do what we’re doing, we need this repaired.”
Problems with the 1991 Ford Winnebago are mainly with the interior, which can be attributed to roof problems.
“Everything stems from the roof,” said Adam Kunes, co-founder and executive director. “Getting the roof repaired is essential, but ideally the whole inside of it would be flipped.”
Renovations would include creating more housing for volunteers so that more participants could experience what The Call to Serve does, Kunes said.
The group has organized a service trip in each of the last two summers, growing from two volunteers in 2009 to a team of nine in 2010. This summer’s trip included stops in Virginia Beach, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; New Orleans; and Dutzow, Missouri. Projects ranged from a beach clean-up to work as camp counselors.
Kunes and Blythe will highlight their most recent adventure through a documentary screening at more than a dozen colleges and universities throughout the country.
Blythe said the 2010 trip “exceeded our expectations 100 percent.”
“The work that we did really made an impact in the communities we visited,” he said. “The young adults who took the trip have been forever changed and will continue to volunteer.”
“It isn’t just about the people we’ve served,” Kunes said. “It’s also about the young people who are forever changed by this experience.”
The future of The Call to Serve includes the addition of spring break trips and a service trip to Honduras in January. The new offerings also help create a variety of experiences and trip commitment lengths.
“There’s a constant need for people who are able to give of themselves,” Blythe said. “There were so many times (during this summer’s trip) that I stepped back and just watched for a minute. We became a family, and we brought love and community to someone who really needed it.”
The group hopes more donations will lead to more trips and more inspiration for college-aged students to get out and help their communities.
“We want people to have these opportunities, whether it’s for a week or three weeks,” Kunes said. “This takes service to the next level and then some.”
Donations to The Call to Serve are accepted at www.thecalltoserve.org or via mail to The Call to Serve, LTD., 400 Overbrook Drive, Suite 2102, Greensburg, PA 15601. For details, send an e-mail to info@thecalltoserve.org
