Every year, the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center joins with Job Corps centers across the nation to celebrate Global Youth Service Day.  This year the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center sent out roughly 100 students on Friday, April 15th to participate in community improvement projects which benefited 7 local organizations and 3 local churches.

Global Youth Service Day, sponsored by Youth Service America, is an annual, global event that highlights and celebrates the contributions and volunteer efforts of young people to their various communities.  In addition to recognizing the year-round service of young volunteers, Global Youth Service Day also aims to recruit a new generation of participants and encourages them on a lifelong path to civic commitment.

The Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center students and staff worked on a variety of community projects throughout the Grand Rapids area for Global Youth Service Day.  The community organizations partnering with the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center were Southeast Community Outreach Ministries, MapleCreek, Bethany Christian Services in conjunction with International Fellowship Church, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, and Ascension Lutheran Church, Midtown Neighborhood Association, Heritage Hill Neighborhood Association, and Kids’ Food Basket.. The projects included community gardening and grounds clean-up, food pantry stocking & preparing meal items to help fight childhood hunger.