Hundreds from Hopkins make a 'meaningful impact'

Nearly 1,000 members of the Johns Hopkins community spread out across Baltimore on Saturday to volunteer in the community as part of the President's Day of Service.

Now in its 10th year, the President's Day of Service is an annual community service event that invites Johns Hopkins students, faculty, and staff to volunteer alongside neighbors across the city and in its public spaces.

"When you start to think about the things that matter to us—in terms of challenges—it can seem overwhelming," said Ronald J. Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University. "But the encouraging thing is that's not the Baltimore way. What defines the city is all of the opportunities that are out there to be able to take steps and have really meaningful impact on a group of people and on a community, steps that will change you and in truth change the trajectory of the lives that you touch in concrete ways."

Since it began in 2009, more than 7,000 volunteers have participated in President's Day of Service in support of more than 150 community organizations.

On Saturday, service projects included:

• Harvesting crops from First Fruits Farm in Baltimore County
• Clearing trash and debris from Chinquapin Park in Northeast Baltimore
• Prepping properties in the Greenmount neighborhood for renovation
• Volunteering at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School's fall festival in South Baltimore