Bison students give back to community during ‘Serve with the Herd’

The NDSU Volunteer network hosted the day-long event with several volunteer options around the F-M community.

FARGO, N.D. — Serve with the Herd is a day-long event hosted by the NDSU Volunteer Network that provides Bison students the chance to do some good.

The day typically falls during Homecoming. Although that was canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers still felt it was important to continue the tradition.

“Even without Homecoming, a lot of people are having a hard time finding ways to get out of their dorms or get off of the campus, so this is a good way to safely do that with a good reason,” said the NDSU volunteer coordinator, Grace McCulloch.

Students have several ways to get involved.

Opportunities include helping at a food bank, sorting donations at Churches United and cleaning up parks.

Things were a little different this year because of COVID-19.

“Normally we can have 20-25 people doing a project, but now, because of COVID restrictions, 10 people in a room and being really careful with masks,” said McCulloch.

Even with the restrictions, plenty of Bison came out to support.

Norene Baeth is an coordinator for Project Linus, one of the nonprofits taking part in the day.

“We donate a lot of blankets to the hospital, the women’s shelter, foster care, adoption agencies,” said Baeth.

She has been working with NDSU during their volunteer event for a number of years and says she is always excited to be a part of it.

“NDSU is very community-minded. They take care of the people in the community by helping us, the charity, to go out and help,” said Baeth. “I am pleased that they still contact me.”