S.T.O.R.M. volunteered to pack meals at Feed My Starving Children.
By Lance Schwartz ’86 • Chief Communication Officer – Bethany Magazine, Winter 2025
For many students at Bethany Lutheran College, volunteering is part of their regular routine. Students take part in a variety of service oriented projects both on campus and off. These opportunities build both experience and character while ultimately providing great benefits to worthwhile organizations throughout the region surrounding Mankato and well beyond.
One of the most visible service organizations is S.T.O.R.M. (Serving Through Outreach, Relief, and Missions). The group’s goal is to increase campus awareness of mission efforts, to support mission work of organizations affiliated with Bethany, and to better equip Bethany students to share the Gospel in their day-to-day lives ultimately developing Christian servant-leaders.
Among the projects that S.T.O.R.M. has facilitated recently includes providing volunteers for the New2You thrift store in North Mankato (New2You supports Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School), making blankets for Project Linus (an organization that provides handmade blankets to children in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need), fundraisers to support Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti, and various other fundraising events throughout the school year. When it comes to S.T.O.R.M. events, typical participation for a group activity depends on how many spots are available (some activities have limited spots), but the usual range is 20–40 students taking part.
SAAC group collected 2,713 total pounds of food and $221 for Echo Food Shelf in Mankato!
Another Bethany Lutheran College student group making a difference in the Mankato community is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). SAAC represents the Division III student-athletes by reviewing legislation; identifying significant student-athlete issues; implementing national student-athlete based initiatives; encouraging community outreach; and enhancing Division III student-athlete involvement in and understanding of Division III in general. SAAC is also the committee that is primarily responsible for maintaining and coordinating the division’s nationwide partnership with Special Olympics.
At Bethany, SAAC helps with community outreach in various ways, most recently they coordinated The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) food drive at Bethany. Each UMAC institution’s SAAC Committee orchestrates the event where the schools are collecting non-perishable food items, toiletries, and money. Bethany’s donations are donated to ECHO Food Shelf in Mankato which provides emergency food assistance to people in the city and the surrounding area.
To assist in the food collection effort, some members of the Bethany SAAC group went trick-or-canning to help gather items. This annual event happens every fall at Bethany, with Viking student-athletes going door-to-door and collecting non-perishable food items.
“SAAC President, senior Steph Witbrod, along with other board members and SAAC reps did an incredible job promoting trick-or-canning and getting out in the community to collect non-perishable food items for our local food shelf,” said SAAC Advisor and head volleyball coach Laura Evans.
“The amount of food is a blessing and we’re thankful for community members willing to participate and for their generous donations.”
This year, Bethany student-athletes collected 2,713 pounds of non-perishable food items to donate to the Echo Food Shelf, while also collecting 221 dollars in cash that is donated to the food shelf to help the organization.
Psychology Professional Development volunteers and officials from YMCA and MY Place with Professor Jen Kom.
Another successful student volunteering effort involved students in the Psychology Professional Development classes led by Dr. Jennifer Kom. Their work also made a significant impact in the Mankato community. The program saw 26 students give over 380 hours of their time at Mankato Youth Place (MY Place), equivalent to roughly 9.5 full-time work weeks. Every time they worked, the students were proudly wearing their red BLC t-shirts.
MY Place began as a Boys and Girls Club in 2018 to fill a growing need in the community serving youth in the Mankato area by providing care free of charge to students during non-school hours. Their program offers youth additional help with academics in areas such as STEM, art, music, and healthy lifestyle programs. It’s a safe and fun environment where kids spend time and participate in positive programs, an alternative to the streets or being home alone. The ultimate goal is to offer a place that reinforces a sense of belonging, empowerment, personal accountability, civility, and civic responsibility.
In addition to the work at MY Place, six of these same students also participated in the Mankato Family YMCA’s Brother/Sister mentoring program. This program involves a weekly engagement of two-three hours, where mentors are paired with children to provide guidance and support. Both MY Place and the YMCA provided a rewarding experience for the mentors and the mentees, fostering meaningful relationships, enhancing social skills, and promoting effective communication.
Kom noted that the students are looking forward to continuing their service in the spring, further solidifying their dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of local youth. One of the students who volunteered at MY Place will be taking on a full-time position after graduation, and another will be interning.
Erin Simmons, Director of MY Place, said in a prepared video for the students who volunteer, “We could not do what we do without you. There are kids [in Mankato] that have a place to go because of you, and your partnership…we are so fortunate to have your support.”
The students’ participation in such community service activities reflects the BLC psychology program’s strong emphasis on community service and personal development, aligning with principles of Christian vocational service and active community engagement.
The College is proud of all of our students for their community outreach efforts while allowing a light to shine on the mission of Bethany Lutheran College.