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Silver Lake College revitalizes SLC Serves program

Silver Lake College of the Holy Family, founded and sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, is dedicated to the Franciscan values of compassion and caring for community. This year, the college teamed up with United Way of Manitowoc County to revitalize its SLC Serves program, which initiates and coordinates the college’s service to the community. SLC Serves kicked off with a “Day of Service” in late January. More than 150 Silver Lake College students, staff, and faculty members served 20 sites in the area, including St. Vincent de Paul, the Manitowoc Public Library, the Rahr-West Art Museum, the Manitowoc-Two Rivers YMCA, and the Salvation Army of Manitowoc County.

“Each time we go outside ourselves and show compassion, mercy, and love for the other, we participate, in a little way, in the compassion and love God has for us,” said Mr. Shaun Johnson, director of Franciscan spirituality and service and a member of the SLC Serves committee.

First-year students participated in SLC Serves as part of their Learning Communities coursework, which emphasizes community, civic engagement, and social justice.

“This is an excellent opportunity for students to engage with the larger world and recognize the positive impact they can have on it,” said Ms. Erin LaBonte, a Learning Communities faculty adviser and a member of the SLC Serves committee.

SLC Serves also goes hand in hand with SLC Works, the college’s recently introduced Work College model.

“Service is a significant component of SLC Works,” said Mr. Matt Goff, dean of SLC Works and a member of the SLC Serves committee. “This comprehensive work-learning-service program provides students with the opportunity to contribute to their educations and to the welfare of the community as a whole.”