Lansing - Communication sophomore Amy Shingledecker and fellow members of the Arnold Air Society helped clean up after Empty Bowls 2002 at the Center for the Arts, 425 S. Grand Ave. in Lansing, last week.
That same Tuesday, April Fischer, also of the Arnold Air Society, cooked meals for 16 people during Family Dinner Night at the Ronald McDonald House, 121 S. Holmes St. in Lansing.
Because of a scheduling error, the Arnold Air Society was double-booked to volunteer with Empty Bowls 2002 and the Ronald McDonald House the same day. Not wanting to give the society a bad name, Fischer filled in.
“I had a class, and I had a lab. Somehow, I cooked those meals and still made it to my class even though I was 10 minutes late,” said Fischer, a human biology senior.
The organization averages about five service projects and is rooted in its dedication to the development of Air Force officers as an offshoot of the U.S. Air Force.
Empty Bowls 2002, a local observance of World Food Day, allowed participants to purchase handmade bowls while being served a simple meal of soup and bread. Proceeds from the event go to the American Red Cross Regional Food Distribution Center, 2116 Mint Road.
Kathe DeMara-Smith, operations supervisor of the center, said the help of the society had a big impact on the day’s events.
“There’s always ways to help out,” Smith said. “There are a lot of students that need to do community service, and coming here is one of the ways they do it.”
The society has been on campus since 1950. Since then, they have built ties with several local organizations. Their list of off-campus volunteer work reads like a list of Who’s Who in charity - American Cancer Society, American Red Cross and the Capital Area Humane Society, among others.
Agricultural and natural resources communications junior Rachelle Wiler, webmaster for the society, says that off-campus community service also helps to improve relations between MSU students and Lansing-area residents.
“(The residents are) not all like, ‘Oh, you crazy college students, get out of here!’ They see that we want to help,” Wiler said.
The students also go beyond the Lansing area to do their good deeds. “If we’re interested in going to Detroit, Ann Arbor or anywhere else, we can do it,” Fischer said. “We’ve played bingo with veterans in Battle Creek, we’ve distributed greeting cards to veterans in Ann Arbor. We’ve done a lot.”
Last February, the society was recognized as the most outstanding squadron, a national honor.
“For us to be such a small group, that’s a big honor,” said Joe Hannasch, commander of the society. “They’ve got 200 members in the society at Notre Dame. We’ve got about 15.”
