Nearly 400 Armstrong State University students, faculty and staff participated in the university’s semi-annual Treasure Savannah day of service on March 7. Each fall and spring semester, members of the Armstrong community volunteer a Saturday morning to give back to the community. 

“The reason we began Treasure Savannah was because the city of Savannah founded Armstrong in 1935,” said Armstrong President Linda M. Bleicken. “So in 2010, we said to ourselves, ‘Let’s figure out way to go into the community and give back.’”

During Treasure Savannah, Armstrong students visit various locations throughout the city where they volunteer with a growing list of organizations. This year, Hinesville Rivers Alive, Azalealand Nursing Home, Habitat for Humanity, Keep Savannah Beautiful, Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia Food Bank, the West Broad YMCA, Grace House Kitchen, Lake Mayer, Ambuc Park and Hoofs 4 Healing were served by the Armstrong community. 

Karrie Henry, founder of the therapeutic equestrian nonprofit Hoofs for Healing, has had Armstrong students volunteer on her ranch for the past two years. She says she’s glad she can continue to count on Armstrong students, faculty and staff for help. 

“It’s just wonderful to have all of these hands here to help us,” she said. “I’m so thankful that Armstrong is here.”

Organizations anticipate Treasure Savannah Day of Service each semester, delighted to receive so much support from the university. Michelle Ramos, a junior majoring in history, looks forward to the university’s citywide day of service each semester. 

“I think Treasure Savannah is a day where we show the city that the students in the area do care,” she said. “It’s good for morale and a lot is getting done.”

First-year student Rhonda Lemons decided to spend her first Treasure Savannah day at Azalealand Nursing Home, giving fresh manicures to residents. She knows that nursing home staff work hard each day, and volunteering in their facility takes some of the weight off of their heavy load. 

A nursing major, Rhonda enjoying the opportunity to volunteer in a setting in which she could one day serve professionally. 

Eugene Chua, in his senior year as a medical laboratory science major, also decided to try something new by volunteering at the West Broad YMCA helping to rearrange classrooms and replace old computers with brand new PCs. 

“We are helping a lot of people around the community that we don’t always get to see,” he said. 

As an international student from Vietnam, Chua is relatively new to Savannah. He enjoyed the chance to participate in Treasure Savannah to see more of the city. 

“This is definitely one of the things that will get you off campus and exploring Savannah,” he raved. “The city supports our school in many ways, so this is one of the things that we can do to give back to our community.”