Courtesy of Dillard University
Dillard University will host a “Day of Service: A Gentilly Communiversity Project,” on Saturday, August 13, at 9 a.m., in Pontchartrain Park. Over 400 incoming freshmen will conduct community service projects that will consist of community gardening, distribution of food boxes, and a tour and cleanup of Pontchartrain Park, which was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The community outreach activities are part of the University’s SOAR new student orientation.
The service projects will begin at Bethany United Methodist Church, located at 4533 Mendez Street. Students and volunteers will have the opportunity to prepare garden boxes with soil for fall planting of vegetables at Dillard University and AARP’s community garden, as well as assist in assembling 200 dry food boxes for Dillard University and Lighthouse Ministries’ free food giveaway, which will be distributed to residents in the New Orleans area.
“One of the tenets of Dillard’s mission is to cultivate leaders who work to make the world a better place. We’ve included this day of service for the incoming class of 2026 to activate their commitment to not only Dillard, but to the Gentilly neighborhood,” said Dr. Kimberly S. Moorehead, dean of University College.
The president of Pontchartrain Neighborhood Association, Gretchen Bradford, will lead students on an historic tour of Pontchartrain Park, while they conduct a cleanup during their fitness walk of 2.5 miles around the park. Students and volunteers will visit the Wesley Barrow Stadium, Major League Baseball Field, Joseph Bartholomew Pontchartrain Park Golf Course and the surrounding neighborhood.
“I am pleased that Dillard University continues to show its commitment to creating an enhanced quality of life for all of our residents. Dillard’s generous contributions to our city has made a positive difference in many communities in which they have provided services,” said New Orleans City Councilman, Eugene Green, whose district includes Pontchartrain Park. “From its students’ involvement with community service, to the strong role that Dillard plays as a host to many community oriented events, the University, its students and administrators have served as a shining example of the role that committed educators and community minded individuals can play in putting our residents in a better place in our city.”
SOAR events will kick-off Wednesday, August 10 and run through Monday, August 15, ahead of students’ first day of class on Tuesday, August 16. Students and volunteers participating in the Day of Service will meet in front of Bethany United Methodist Church at 9 a.m.
