This semester, the Department of Social Work at Hardin-Simmons University had the opportunity to experience servanthood as they volunteered and served the community.
Social work is a field that is very service oriented and aims at helping the most vulnerable groups of people while also addressing the root issues of injustice. Students here at the University have had the unique chance to put their service in action as they gain valuable experience for the future.
“Social work is a helping profession,” Triniti Wilson, a senior social work major from Abilene, said. “So we constantly seek community partnerships and volunteer work. This year we are focusing more on self-care. So one of the things we did was a self-care event within the club and it just gave us a few hours to relax and congregate with each other. Our amazing professor Lauren Cantrell, assistant professor of social work, and her partner Noreen White, early childhood intervention program director for the Betty Hardwick center, did a self-care event at the NASW conference, and will be doing it at Champion for Children.”
The social work department has also served the community in other ways throughout the semester. “Some other events we sponsored were “boo bags” for the students within the community in schools. Some of us volunteered with the winter light fest, fest of sharing and so many more,” Wilson said.
As the semester comes to a close, the department has some exciting things coming up as they seek to help others even outside of Abilene. “Looking into the future we are getting ready to go to Austin for advocacy day where our juniors will get the chance to speak on a topic of their choice and advocate for change. We are also getting ready to celebrate International Women’s Day with an amazing event as well as a prom party which allows girls who are unaccompanied or at risk, to have a day all about them and make them feel special,” Wilson said.
