As students of Acadia one of the things we invest a great deal of time and effort into is our community based organizations. The Acadia spirit embodies giving back to the community where we spend a large piece of our young adult lives. Many of us spend time volunteering at organizations that contribute to the well-being of all the members in the community. Many of these organizations are dependent on student involvement to continue and as Acadia students we are proud to help provide sustainability to these programs. The benefit of student involvement in these organizations is mutual. Many students describe their involvement in these programs as some of the best experiences of their university careers.

            This year the Acadia Students’ Union has directed its fundraising efforts to two community based organizations, S.M.I.L.E and L’Arche Homefires. The S.M.I.L.E Program which is an integral part of our community is largely based upon Acadia student participation to keep the program going. Many Acadia students have participated over their time at Acadia and it is one of the most well-known and well received community programs in Wolfville and the surrounding area. Because of its outstanding reputation among the community and campus, S.M.I.L.E had almost 450 students come out to its last volunteer recruiting session. That is almost one fifth of the entire campus population.

            The other organization we have decided to direct our fundraising efforts to is L’Arche Homefires. L’Arche is an international organization that has a branch in Wolfville. L’Arche has been established in Wolfville since 1981 and has made monumental impact since its beginning. It has 3 programs: Applewicks, Cornerstone and Discoveries, which all offer different opportunities for its participants and its volunteers.

            These two organizations are two of many that contribute to the wonderful energy of Wolfville. The Acadia Students’ Union is excited and humbled to be a part of the effort to sustain these programs. We are looking forward to the upcoming year and the ways that we can come together as a community to support S.M.I.L.E and L’Arche.