According to a study conducted by HelpGuide.org, volunteering has numerous benefits for both the individual and the community. It improves physical and mental health, increases happiness, and helps to build social networks. The study revealed that volunteerism has a significant impact on society, with volunteers contributing billions of dollars to the economy through their unpaid work. Volunteerism has also been linked to increased levels of civic engagement and social responsibility.

The Pryor Leadership Program at Jewell has been actively involved in supporting Eden Village, a shelter community that is currently being constructed that aims to provide affordable housing to individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Volunteers from the Pryor Leadership Program regularly visit the community to organize events and to provide support in any way that might be needed. Currently, the Pryor Leadership Fellows are working to build a fence for the community. 

Eden Village of Kansas City will be a gated tiny home community enriched by a community center. Local volunteer specialists will give their time to provide individuals who have been classified as chronically homeless with a safe and dignified place to call home. Pryor is working with Eden Village to help them make their Kansas City, KS, property secure by fencing the remainder of its perimeter and then shifting our focus to furnishing and decorating the tiny houses that will be on the property.

Cole Hon, a senior working on the project explained: “Each year, the graduating Pryor Leadership Fellows partner with a nonprofit in our greater Kansas City community to address relevant issues and leave a lasting mark through the Pryor Legacy Project. A donation, whether in the form of financial means or volunteer hours, directly benefits Eden Village of Kansas City, the Pryor Legacy Class of 2023 community partner.”

When asked about what the ultimate goal of the partnership is, he said, “We are working with Eden Village to help them secure their Kansas City, KS, property by fencing the remainder of its perimeter and then shifting our focus to furnishing and decorating the tiny houses that will be on the property. Our goal is to fundraise the cost of the fencing, $10,500, by March 13th so we are able to begin acquiring materials before our first work day on April 1st. Our overall fundraising goal is $25,000 by May 1st which will be given to Eden Village to furnish homes as they are brought onto the property.”

Warrior’s Best Friend is another organization that provides vital services to veterans by placing service dogs with those who need them. These service dogs help to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other mental health conditions. Warrior’s Best Friend relies heavily on the support of volunteers who help walk and clean the dogs. By volunteering with Warrior’s Best Friend, students at William Jewell can make a meaningful impact on the lives of veterans and their families, as well as on the organization itself. 

William Jewell students should contact 816-500-3867 if interested in contributing to either of these essential causes. By volunteering with these organizations, students can make a meaningful impact on the lives of others, gain monumental experiences and help to build a more just and compassionate society.

Spring semester at William Jewell College means a lot of things for seniors, but for Pryor Leadership Fellows, it means it’s time to start the legacy project for 2021. This year the group decided on funding and turning a shipping container into a functioning learning center for MO Hives, with hopes for completion in early May. 

MO Hives is a local nonprofit that Legacy project champions, Kylee Newton, senior accounting and nonprofit leadership, and Megan Sprague, senior psychological science and nonprofit leadership major, interned with during the summer and fall. Founded in Kansas City in 2019, MO Hives works to bring education and excitement back to the honey bee. 

“By creating a healthy urban apiary model that can be duplicated in other Missouri cities, MO Hives KC will inspire communities, provide experiential learning opportunities, amplify community garden yields, increase bee populations, and beautify previously blighted property,” MO Hives shared on their website. 

Newton and Sprague both fell in love with MO Hives and their mission. 

“I was first exposed to MO Hives KC in my fundraising class here at Jewell,” Newton said. “I immediately connected with their mission to restore the bee population and make an environmental impact in KC. The founders of this amazing organization are making small strides everyday that have a huge impact.”

2021 Pryor fellows wanted to choose a project involving education, as COVID-19 has greatly impacted the freedom and productivity in the Kansas City education system. After this home base is built, it can be utilized for storage, field trips and community gatherings. The group hopes that this base will be a beneficial space for not only young students but the whole KC area.

On top of transforming the inside of the shipping container, Pryor Fellows are working to build a 12-foot surrounding deck with wheelchair access in order to support an outdoor gathering area. The goal is to use as many recycled and sustainable resources as possible – from seats to hooks – so Pryor can stay within budget and have a better environmental impact. 

“This project will impact everyone in the community,” Newton said. “Bees are vital. Pollinators impact the air we breathe, the beauty we see, and the food we eat. MO Hives is creating a space to sustain and grow the pollinator population. The completion of our outdoor education center will also open the door for opportunities to learn about bees and sustainable agriculture. This initiative will bring STEM back into the community.”

The fundraising and logistics committees have started a GoFundMe and designed shirts to raise a goal amount of $12,000. The group is also looking at hosting a larger event once the weather improves. The event would possibly involve food trucks and outdoor lawn games around the quad. Pryor Fellows plan to finish fundraising by mid-April, so the group can break ground on the project by the end of the month.

More specific details regarding future fundraising, events and the finished product will be available on the Pryor Legacy 2021 Facebook and Instagram pages.

During their senior year, the Pryor fellows build upon leadership experience they have gained throughout the three years of the program and complete a group legacy project. The 2020 Pryor Class Legacy project, a partnership with Kansas City’s New Roots for Refugees, has faced unexpected challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite having to move the Legacy project online and raise funds virtually, the 2020 Pryor class has risen to the challenge and demonstrated their critical thinking abilities. 

Mikaela Papageorgiou, senior nonprofit leadership, communication studies and Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry (ACT-In) major and legacy project champion, notes that despite the challenge of modifying the initial plans for the Legacy project completion, the senior Pryor class has adapted very well to the unprecedented circumstances. 

“It has been inspiring to see how everyone has banded together over the common goal of completing the Legacy project,” said Papageorgiou. “Our class has been really willing to adapt to online fundraising – which is really difficult.” 

The Pryor Legacy project is typically equal parts volunteering and fundraising. However, the 2020 Pryor class has had to postpone the build day and volunteering time at the farm site for a later date in the fall. Online fundraising is now the bulk of the project. 

McKenzie Gross, senior nonprofit leadership and Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry (ACT-In) major and project fundraising head, explains that online fundraising during COVID-19 is especially challenging as people are focused on the impact of the virus and are looking to donate to those related relief organizations. 

“We totally applaud those relief organizations and the work that they are doing for our communities, because it is definitely needed,” Gross said. “At the same time, I think it is important to consider the impact that COVID-19 has had on food and supply chains in our communities and to really think about the relationship between New Roots for Refugees’ locally grown produce and the challenges that we are seeing in grocery stores at this time.”

The 2020 Pryor class created “Fight the 19” – an online 30-day personal wellness challenge focused on benefiting mental and physical health as well as demonstrating compassion to the community.

A flyer was sent out to the William Jewell College student body in early April, and the Pryor fellows called the Jewell community to action. 

“Our hope is that you will join our personal challenge of wellness and resiliency while bringing awareness to our 2020 Legacy Project,” said the 2020 Pryor class. 

Papageorgiou describes the intention behind the initiative. 

“Fight the 19” was our push to show the community that we are still trying to finish out the Legacy project and get people united through that,” Papageorgiou said.

As a way to keep the Pryor fellows engaged, the “Fight the 19” initiative spurred the fellows to practice mental and physical renewal as well as compassion in the month of April and additionally, it provided a platform to raise funds. 

The Pryor fellows have been utilizing social media platforms and guerilla marketing tactics to raise funds, Papageorgiou explains. 

“Everyone has taken their own spin on it,” said Papageorgiou.

Through their continued efforts, the 2020 Pryor class has raised a significant amount for New Roots for Refugees. 

“At this time, we are working on wrapping up our fundraising campaign. We have raised over $16,000 already and we are working on the final push to our goal of $20,000,” said Gross.

Gross notes that while every Pryor Legacy project is always a learning experience for each Pryor class, the 2020 Pryor class undertook a significant challenge.  

“I know this class will walk away from this project with grit and determination,” Gross said.  “Making a large-scale project like this successful is no easy task, and this class has managed to do it in the wildest of circumstances. I am so proud of the dedication and determination that the Pryor class of 2020 has shown.”

Papageorgiou additionally reflects on the impact of this project for herself and the Pryor fellows.

“I have truly learned that when you are working with a team of passionate leaders there is no challenge too big,” said Papageorgiou. “I’ve been exposed to so many strengths of my classmates and learned how even more amazing they are than I already knew them to be. We have learned to adapt and grow together in ways we never imagined.” 

To support the 2020 Pryor Legacy project, you can check out the GoFundMe here and follow along on social media: Instagram: @pryorlegacynewroots, Twitter: @pryornewroots and Facebook: Pryor Legacy and New Roots for Refugees.