Creighton Students Volunteer at the Farm

Alternative break groups from Creighton University have volunteered at the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for many years. The Nebraska based Jesuit university has similar values to that of the Sisters of Providence and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College: Service, justice and academic excellence.

The White Violet Center for Eco-Justice Farm seemed a perfect place for students to learn about sustainability and get their hands dirty in the garden.

Post-COVID 19 shutdowns, Creighton’s Schlegel Center for Service and Justice has sent a group of students to the Woods during their Fall Break.

The students enjoy spending time on a new campus, learning about Saint Mother Theodore, meeting Sisters and volunteering at the Providence Food Pantry, Providence HealthCare, while spending most of their time helping at the White Violet Farm.

The White Violet staff are grateful for the extra post-harvest assistance in getting the fields ready for winter.

Having a big group volunteer means that tasks get done faster and staff can focus on other projects that need to be completed before cold weather sets in.

Creighton students also help to clean the barn and fields, tidy the chicken coops and other livestock-related tasks like skirting (sorting alpaca fiber).

The students who volunteer during their fall break are already going above and beyond.

They could have stayed on their campus, slept, worked or vacationed, but, instead, they decided to serve and help others.

The Sisters of Providence are grateful for the students’ time and energy and our partnership with Creighton!