Making a Difference: Easy as ABC

When I was younger, people would often ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up. Unlike many children who wanted to be astronauts or football players, I always said I just wanted to help people. It took until my sophomore year at Arcadia, but I found what I was searching for when I stumbled upon a club called Arcadia for a Better Community (ABC).

ABC hosts a series of community service events in nearby towns and cities throughout the semester. One of my favorite events was at the Baby Bureau, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that collects gently used or new baby clothing for families in underserved communities. The Baby Bureau’s founder, Fran Wasserman, is extremely passionate about her work, and even performed a TEDx Talk at Arcadia in April 2017.

ABC volunteers with the Baby Bureau to create “baby bundles” of clothing. To date, the Baby Bureau has dressed more than 3,000 babies. With the help of ABC and others, the organization believes it can reach even more.

When I volunteered at the Baby Bureau, I immediately felt the impact I was making on the local community. Boxes on boxes of donated baby clothing were piled into a storage room, set to be distributed to various underprivileged babies throughout Montgomery and Bucks County. Some of these clothes are distributed to specific organizations and homeless shelters, while others can be picked up by anyone who may need clothes for their baby or cannot afford to buy their baby new clothes.

Being able to make a difference is just one of the few things I love about Arcadia for a Better Community. By joining the club, you also meet new friends, are exposed to various injustices that exist in our community, and learn how to connect with organizations to volunteer your time and services.

If you are interested in impacting the lives of others, attend an ABC meeting! Meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. in Brubaker Hall. ABC community service events are held throughout the semester.