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After Puerto Rico was rocked by massive earthquakes in January, ADRA volunteers and local church leaders sprung into action, providing meals around the clock to feed hundreds of people, and installing tents for those who lost their homes. ACS Disaster Response has partnered with the relief agency to supply blankets to those displaced from homes and living in tents.

When Elgin, Illinois, church pastor Gabriel Bardan joined a clergy meeting and introduced himself as the pastor of the Elgin Seventh-day Adventist Church, the chairman, a mainline Protestant pastor looked at him and asked, "Where have you been so far?" Bardan acknowledges, "Indeed, we had been disconnected from the community for a long time. Now, our goal is to become a community hub!"

Despite hectic schedules, three high school students in Redlands and Loma Linda decided that helping disadvantaged individuals was worth putting in longer days. Their decision and subsequent experiences serving others solidified their career interests in medicine and were also among the reasons the students were awarded the largest scholarship given by La Sierra University.

Andrews University continues to expand efforts to be a blessing to those beyond its campus. The first annual Celebration of Community Engagement took place this past fall in the university’s Buller Hall. The program included a "poster session," musical selections, and video presentations that highlighted more than a dozen university departments and clubs involved in community engagement projects led by professors and students.