Students from Westminster College’s School of Education put service into action on Oct. 23 during a community engagement event at the Mission Barn in New Castle, Pa.

Under the direction of Kristen Czubiak, lecturer in the School of Education, 14 students lent their time and skills to assist the Mission Barn in its mission to build accessibility ramps for individuals with disabilities in Lawrence County and to assemble disaster relief kits for communities facing emergencies.

Czubiak praised the experience. 

“I believe it is important to encourage students to consider individuals who may be in need and to reflect on the ways they can positively support others. The Mission Barn gave us this opportunity. We enjoyed working together as a team toward the goal of having a positive impact serving the community,” said Czubiak.

Throughout the evening, students contributed to a wide range of projects, including preparing ramps in the woodshop, completing landscaping and facility cleaning tasks, assembling 700 newsletters for mailing and organizing supplies for an upcoming event.

The experience offered students an opportunity to support meaningful community work while building fellowship and teamwork—further strengthening Westminster’s commitment to service learning and regional engagement.

“It was really rewarding to spend an evening with students doing something nice to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Lily Atwood, a junior psychology major from Kittanning, Pa. 

Mission Barn is one of six United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Relief Supply Network depots across the United States that provides relief supply kits to those impacted by disaster.

To learn more about Westminster’s School of Education, please visit www.westminster.edu/education.

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