Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology alumni, family members and friends in Indianapolis and Houston recently gave up a Saturday to help their communities through a Alumni Day of Service volunteer project -- continuing a commitment to community service that started during their days on campus.

On Oct. 13, 10 alumni assisted the Houston Food Bank, while six alumni put their engineering skills to good use by working on a Habitat For Humanity house in Indianapolis.

In Houston, alumni sorted through boxes of expired or damaged food that had been donated to the food bank. The usable supplies were repacked for distribution at area homeless shelters. There were three separate work crews: Box movers, food sorters and repackers.

"Our box movers showed their strength by continuously supplying boxes to the food sorters," stated alumni project organizer Jessica Farmer, a 2004 chemical engineering graduate who is a process engineer for Rohm and Haas. "Once the boxes were received, the food sorters foraged bravely through the random bugs and dust to sort out the usable food. After the food passed our rigorous quality control, the rest of our group ensured each food item ended up in the correct box (condiments, juice, vegetables, etc). Everyone did an excellent job. It was a great experience because not only did we get to do our part to help the community, we were able to enjoy each other's company while doing so."

Helping Their Community: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology alumni, family members and friends that participated in a recent Alumni Day of Service volunteer project in Houston were (front row, from left) Michelle Edelbrock, Amanda Willis, Robin Dutton, Chris Thiede, Erin Barkow and Jason Self. In the back row (from left) are John Pfiefer, Stuart Gosch, Roger Edelbrock, Stacey Otts, Sandra Azzano, Jessica Farmer, Lucas Elliott and Matt Albert.

Alumni participating in the Houston project were Matt Albert (Civil Eng.' 04), Robin Dutton (Math, '69), Roger Edelbrock (Mech. Eng., '78), Lucas Elliott (Chem. Eng., '01), Stuart Gosch (Chem. Eng., '80), Scott Humbert (Mech. Eng., '98), Stacey Otts (Chem. Eng., '07), John Pfiefer (Mech. Eng., '81) and Chris Thiede (Chem. Eng., '07). Family members and friends joining in the event were Sandra Azzano, Erin Barkow, Michelle Edelbrock, Julie Lowstetter, Jason Self and Amanda Willis.

In Indianapolis, alumni assisted with two Habitat For Humanity sites, helping put the finishing touches on two new houses on the southeast side of Indianapolis. The groups helped hang mini-blinds and closet shelves, cleaned up the homes, and prepared for the dedication ceremony.

"The alumni had a great time and we enjoyed helping the community," stated event organizer Mike Martin, a 2004 computer engineering graduate who is a process engineer for ProTrans International in Indianapolis. “At the house I was helping at, the homeowner stopped in for a few minutes. We were able to meet her, and share in her and her children's excitement about their new home. It was a neat experience, especially since we were working side by side with fellow Rose-Hulman alums.”

Other alumni involved in the projects were Marcelo Copat (Elect. Eng., ’84), Bryant Eismeier (Elect. Eng., ’05), Jared Farmer (Mech. Eng., ’05), Zack Miller (Comp. Science, ’04) and Thomas Redford (Civil Eng./Mech. Eng., ’83).

The Day of Service event was organized by Rose-Hulman's Young Alumni Council (YAC) to show that by working together, alumni can make a difference in their communities.

Stefani Meyer (Applied Biology, '06), a YAC member, helped organize the national effort this year. Alumni groups that would like to participate in future community service efforts should contact Meyer at Stefani.Meyer@rose-hulman.edu.