With hunger a persistent problem in Buncombe County and Western North Carolina, the annual Warren Wilson College Service Day on Aug. 24 will focus on food security for the third consecutive year.

On that date, about 350 students, faculty and staff from Warren Wilson will travel to nearly 20 project sites in Asheville and Buncombe County to work on food security issues. Projects this year include preparing space for a new community garden in Swannanoa; supporting garden production and education at the Burton Street Garden, assembling a greenhouse at Vance Elementary School; and packing food for the school backpack program at MANNA food bank. Most of the hands-on labor will be done from about 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

“For our new students, this day is an opportunity to get to know their new community, laying the groundwork for their community engagement over the next four years,” Dean of Service Cathy Kramer said. “A number of the groups have specific plans to continue the relationships with their Service Day partners through their classes this semester.”

Service Day introduces new Warren Wilson students – freshmen and transfer students alike – to the college’s service-learning program. Launched more than half a century ago, the program calls upon each undergraduate student to make a strong commitment to civic engagement as a graduation requirement. In recent years, the college’s approximately 900 undergraduates have annually surpassed 30,000 hours of service to community