Delaware's junior Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware) will join approximately 500 Delaware State University students on Saturday for the college’s 4th annual Inspired Day of Service.
The event stems from the Inspire Scholarship, which provides financial assistance for in-state students to attend DSU. A requirement of the scholarship is that students complete 10 hours of community service work each semester.
Victor Santos, DSU’s Director of Government and Community Relations says its an opportunity for students to be actively engaged in the world around them.
“First of all we want to make sure students know what’s going on in the community and have that spirit of giving back,” he says. “This is our fourth year doing it and every year there's just a great reaction. I always greet every student when they come back to campus off the bus and they’re always happy, they're always smiling, they’re always looking forward to doing it next year.”
Senator Coons will join join some of the Inspire Scholars for volunteer service at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in Dover. Additional community service projects will happen Wilmington and Georgetown.
Community service projects will range from neighborhood cleanups to starting community gardens.
Victor Santos says its important for the college to perform community service projects in all three First State counties.
“Because we’re Delaware State University; we represent the entire state,” he notes. “We’re not just in Dover. People can forget about you in other parts of the state but we represent the entire state, we have students that come from all different parts of the state so we want them to go back to where they come from and give back to their communities which they’re from.”
Santos adds approximately 500 DSU students will participate. The Inspired Day of Service will begin with an opening ceremony at the college’s Martin Luther King Jr. Student Center featuring encouraging words from Delaware's senior Senator Tom Carper.