Gardening, painting and making birthday cards were just a few of the activities that Temple students participated in during FreshServe, held last weekend in the neighborhoods surrounding Main Campus.

An annual fall activity, FreshServe sets the tone for service throughout the academic year by introducing new students to the North Philadelphia community during a day of volunteer work. Traditionally held as part of Welcome Week activities, this year’s event was planned three weeks into the semester and focused on building relationships between Temple student organizations and area community groups. But while the timing and organization were different, FreshServe’s primary mission remained unchanged.

Saturday morning, teams of Temple volunteers met at the Bell Tower before walking to project sites at nearby community centers and organizations. Student groups such as the Temple University Greek Association and the Community Service Living-Learning Community offered their services cleaning, gardening and working with children at nearby organizations such as the Columbia North YMCA and Philadelphia Urban Creators.

Another group, Students for Environmental Action, helped out closer to home, at the Temple University Community Garden on the corner of Norris and Broad streets. The garden is one of several run by students as part of an effort to give community residents access to fresh, healthy foods.

Kendra Muldowney, a freshman and first-year member of the group, spent her day weeding flower beds, spreading compost, planting brussel sprouts and broccoli and watering crops in the garden.

“I really enjoyed the experience,” she said. “And I feel like we accomplished a lot during the two hours that we were there.”

Other groups volunteered their time creating healthy spaces for young people. Six members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority worked with four members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and about 30 other students to clean and organize classrooms at the R.W. Brown Community Center.

“It’s rewarding to know that the children will be playing in a cleaner and safer environment,” said Delta Sigma Theta First Vice President Talia Banks. “I was pleased to see the amount of fun Temple students had volunteering. I hope that it leads to more volunteer opportunities in the North Philadelphia community.”

FreshServe is just one of many service initiatives at Temple. Numerous volunteer programs are organized by university departments and student organizations, and the Temple University Student Community Service Association gives students a chance to give back to their community through ongoing service activities. Temple’s Office of Community Relations supports and tracks service efforts throughout the university.