PHOENIX — A unique collaboration between Grand Canyon University and the CityServe church network is being hailed as a bold new “service model” for student activism to help provide aid to under-resourced communities.

From October 28 – November 2, GCU students chose from over 1,000 volunteer opportunities across 40 ministries in the Phoenix area, all in recognition of Grand Canyon University’s “Week of Service” celebrating its 75th anniversary.

GCU President Brian Mueller stated, “As a missional, Christ-centered university, service is embedded into everything we do at GCU. So it felt very natural to celebrate our 75th anniversary in this way.”

GCU CityServe is a university-model affiliate of CityServe’s national affiliate program based at the GCU campus. As part of the anniversary celebration, students had service opportunities such as food box deliveries, clothing distribution, computer upgrades and refurbishment, free bunk bed installation, and loading, unloading, and delivering truckloads of household goods.

Students spent the day distributing food boxes and packaging clothing to be sent to clothing closets in Title I schools across the valley. Student volunteers also spent time with underserved families in the Phoenix area to help assemble bunk beds provided by the Sleep in Heavenly Peace non-profit.

“Our students have a heart to serve and a desire to help people who are in more vulnerable situations,” President Mueller added. “Service has become part of their educational experience.”

CityServe co-founder and CEO Dave Donaldson was present to witness the profound impact the “Week of Service” made on the local community. He congratulated the students and ministry organizers for what he called “a truly outstanding job.”

“This has been an incredible proof-of-concept,” Donaldson said. “The passion these students have for bringing hope, encouragement, and tangible help to those who feel left behind is truly inspirational.

“We aim to extend this unique campus-activism model into every faith-based college and university in America,” he added. “There’s no question these young people are changing lives by showing God’s love. All we at CityServe do is channel their passion to where it will do the most good.”

The week’s activities were part of GCU’s ongoing mission to help local neighborhoods. On any given week, GCU students have hundreds of opportunities to serve via scores of ministries, whether volunteering to help kids, care for the elderly, assist refugees, aid the homeless, or deliver household goods to local families in need.

CityServe International is a collaborative network of churches and community leaders who help those in need live better lives. CityServe empowers the local church to fulfill its purpose to overcome despair and transform lives by resourcing them with tangible goods and capacity building. CityServe brings the church to the table to address community challenges by offering long-lasting relationships that lead to transformation and has been designated a “Community of Faith and Opportunity” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona’s premier private Christian university. GCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers 349 academic programs, emphases and certificates for both traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The University’s curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu.

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