After a taxing week of tests, Spring Sing practice and club sports, few brave the challenge of waking up before noon on a Saturday. Nevertheless, there are several who sacrifice sleep to serve others in unique, selfless ways. The group calls itself Harding in Action.
The ministry was revived last semester by senior Stephany Ayestas. Ayestas used her seat on the Student Life Committee to reinvigorate the program that had faded out of existence over the past few years.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to volunteer a lot while I was in high school,” Ayestas said. “So I started thinking about what I could do.”
The result is a refurbished, exciting new take on an old idea. Harding in Action engages students with the community through basic acts of servitude. The projects range from simple yard work to assisting with child care and even moving services. According to Ayestas, the goal is never to just reach a certain quota of leaf piles or thanks from the elderly.
“It’s good to use our time and talents for other people,” Ayestas said. “I like the example we set for other people, it gives them the chance to see Jesus in us.”
This semester, Harding in Action has already hosted two service projects, one raking leaves for an elderly woman and the other visiting a local nursing home.
“We visited with the patients and played bingo with them,” Ayestas said.
Junior Aundrey Flewellen, who joined Harding in Action last fall, said the event reminded him of similar visits back home.
“But this time there was a twist,” Flewellen said. “We got to relax and enjoy each other’s company and listen to stories. It was a great time.”
Despite the group’s youth, Harding in Action’s members and leaders do not lack a tenacious vigor. Already the ministry has several special projects in the works in addition to the more regular weekend events. According to Ayestas, the group will collaborate with Bisons for Christ this April in a food drive collection and delivery. Ayestas also hopes to become involved in a Habitat for Humanity project later this semester.
While Ayestas and Flewellen recognized the impact their efforts have had on the community, both mentioned the reciprocal nature of service.
“We get blessed by other people by their smiles and their joy,” Ayestas said. “We get to see the love of Christ too.”
For Flewellen, the benefits come from participating in an elegant, overarching picture.
“As Christians we are a reflection of Jesus,” Flewellen said. “We are carrying on his mission even to present-day 2015.”
Ayestas encourages everyone, both inside and outside Harding in Action with her personal slogan: “Be at Harding, be in action!”
Anyone interested in joining Harding in Action can contact Ayestas via Facebook.
