Members of the Stark Chapter of the Kent State University
Alumni Association engaged in community service at the
Domestic Violence Project, Inc. during the fourth annual
Alumni Day of Service.

Kent State University alumni collaborated with the Domestic Violence Project, Inc. to give back to the community during the fourth annual Alumni Day of Service sponsored by the Stark Chapter of the Kent State University Alumni Association.

Sixteen alumni painted walls and cleaned rooms of the agency on Saturday, April 21. Willetta Shoemaker, president of the Stark Chapter of the Kent State Alumni Association, explains that alumni traveled several miles to participate in the community service event.

“We have different people come each year,” Shoemaker says. “We see alums we don’t often see at other programs available through the organization. It’s nice because this event enables us to meet the needs of people who want to lend their time.”

The Stark Chapter chose the Domestic Violence Project, Inc. because it is a local nonprofit organization that has realized great increases in the need for its services. This was the university’s first time to work with the agency.  

The Domestic Violence Project is committed to providing a strong safety net for the families in its community.  According to the organization’s website, the agency’s clients are welcomed by a caring and compassionate staff, offering supportive services necessary to establish an abuse-free lifestyle. The agency offers services such as a 24-hour confidential hot-line, 330-453-SAFE, emergency shelter in Canton and Massillon for up to 40 individuals, prevention and educational services and support, legal advocacy, counseling and special topic support.

Stacey Giammarco, the agency’s director of development and marketing, says she and other members were pleased to work with the Kent State alumni.

“We are happy to engage those in our community and educate them about the prevalence of domestic violence here in Stark County,” Giammarco says. “Our Canton shelter alone has seen a 70 percent increase in census the past two years, with over half of those sheltered being children. We're so happy that Kent State reached out to us and helped us with some of the updates we needed to our facility. We hope everyone had a great day of service."

Shoemaker explains that Alumni Day is a significant way to keep alumni connected to the university while building long-lasting relationships with the community.

“I think Alumni Day shows the university’s presence,” Shoemaker says. “It’s a good representation of the people who attend the university, and it’s a lot of fun.”

For more information about the Alumni Association, visit www.ksualumni.org/s/401/social.aspx?sid=401&gid=1&pgid=810.