University students and community members joined to assist local seniors Saturday as part of the annual Senior Day of Service project in Kent and Ravenna.

Paul Holm, executive director of the volunteer organization Rebuilding Together, said he believes the project helps students and community members bond with older residents.

“The project helps connect students with a part of the community they may not be familiar with,” Holm said. “We live in a society where the population is aging rapidly, and the elderly want to be independent. They just need a little bit of help.”

Members of the Kent State running club, Zeta Phi Beta and Delta Gamma Ro, and other organizations volunteered for the event.

Daris Huckabee, a senior public health major and member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, volunteered to help with three houses with several of her sorority sisters.

“One of our principles is service and it’s always important to give back to the community,” Huckabee said. “We hope to act as leaders on campus and get the word out to others to give back to the community.”

During the project, volunteers drove to several houses around the area in need of repair. While some houses only required leaf raking and gutter cleaning, others required more advanced aid from a construction technology team.

William Dvorak, sophomore technology major, helped with one of the construction technology teams for the project. During the day, the team helped with general home upkeep and safety, including installing smoke alarms, hand rails for toilets and stairs and doing yard work.

“Some people can’t take care of the little items around their house, and its good to pay it forward and help them out,” Dvorak said. “It also goes hand in hand with my major as it helps with learning woodworking and construction methods.”

Sandra Eaglen, Kent homeowner and former instructor on the Geauga campus, said she was very grateful for the project.

“I think it’s so wonderful that these students donate their time to such a wonderful cause,” Eaglen said. “There are people who need help even more than I do and I am so glad that they can get it.”

Liz Bosworth, graduate assistant for Kent State’s Quality Initiatives and Curriculum said she hopes students with feel more connected to seniors after the project is completed.

“Its important to improve the relationship between Kent State students and the community,” Bosworth said. “We want the groups to build a relationship with the seniors they assisted, and we hope they will continue the relationship throughout their years at Kent. “

Contact Drew Parker at [email protected].