At 9 a.m. Sept. 16, the University of Mobile’s (UMobile) campus was surprisingly empty. No professors’ voices rolled from classrooms; no students chatted over morning coffee from Java City. It was the university’s 50th anniversary, but where were the people commemorating it?
They were out fulfilling UMobile’s philosophy: “changing lives to change the world.”
To celebrate the university’s golden anniversary, students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees went out into Mobile and Baldwin counties to serve the community.
At 7:30 a.m., more than 1,000 participants gathered in front of Weaver Hall for breakfast and a speech by President Mark Foley before leaving for their various projects.
Each school developed a service project based on its area of study. Music faculty and students held a choir rehearsal at a nursing home. Education students helped teachers in their classrooms. Nursing students taught schoolchildren about hand-washing and other hygiene tips to help avoid catching the flu.
But why would a university choose to celebrate its 50th anniversary with community service projects?
“I believe it is reminiscent of the initial mission and ministry that Dr. (William) Weaver and the other founders [found] so compelling in the early days of Mobile College (now UMobile),” said Bill Hart, senior development officer of charitable estate planning.
In fact, Project Serve has been a part of the university culture for years.
In the past, it was facilitated through individual departments on campus, but some university staff thought it would be worthwhile for the entire university to celebrate its anniversary with a campuswide Project Serve. So they proposed their idea to the administrative council.
“[When we heard this], we said, ‘Absolutely,’” Foley said.
Of course, Project Serve’s ultimate goal was to open doors to share Christ’s love with people.
Katie Allred, a senior computer information systems major, enjoyed getting to know the director of transportation at Dumas Wesley Community Center in Mobile while troubleshooting her computer issues.
“We were able to talk about Dumas Wesley’s programs and services that they provide for the community. She told me about their women’s housing for unwed mothers, which I found very interesting and helpful for other ministry work,” Allred said.
“I was able to share Christ’s love with her through my technical abilities, and I learned how much nonprofits need information technology work.”
Foley’s vision for Project Serve looks beyond one day of service. He hopes that participants deepen their connections with the area around UMobile and their service paves the way for evangelistic opportunities.
“We want to saturate this city with a very real example of how you transform a nation,” Foley said. “You do it by investing in someone’s life and allowing that experience to touch your own life.”
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