TaborTalk Blog

Community Service is in full swing this fall at Tabor… it just looks a little different than usual.  We had to think a little more locally and plan a little more strategically, but both the faculty and students involved have done great work so far, focusing on issues around food security, building a good sense of community, and the local environment. 

The church that I go to with my family, Newman UCC in Rumford, RI, is the site of the Bread of Life Food Pantry. The pantry is a collaboration of six local churches that distribute food two Tuesdays a month.

As we approach the holiday season, Tabor’s Community Service Board is busy planning seasonal offerings for community outreach. The board, comprised of 15 students who were chosen based on their commitment to service, is advised by faculty members.

In June a group of Tabor students and chaperones spent ten days in Vietnam for our fifth annual Southeast Asian Service program.

For the past two years, the Special Olympics Club at Tabor Academy has been hosting and attending a multitude of different activities celebrating the athletic achievement of intellectually impaired athletes.

Tomatoes, you may be surprised to learn, is a community service organization at Tabor. Every weekend, we gather our members and walk the 10-minute walk to the Sippican Health Center of Marion where we hold a 30 to 45-minute recital for the elderly residents who live there.

With the Special Olympics club looking to start its fourth year of activity at Tabor, we are starting to spread beyond the student body and connect with the outside community through various campaigns and programs.

This fall, I started reaching out to college rowing coaches in hopes of continuing to pursue one of my passions at the next level when I graduate next year. In an email I received from one coach, there was a link at the bottom that brought me to a video about a partnership between their rowing team and Special Olympics that brought Special Olympics athletes to their boathouse and introduced them to the sport of rowing.

This year, I started a project at Tabor that a family friend of mine began 10 years ago called the Box of Fun Project, a service project to bring joy to hospitalized children. This project originally began in 2005 when my family friend, Jack, who was 9 years old, was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).

To my freshman self four years ago, leadership sounded like a far-fetched idea. Playing saxophone is definitely one of my biggest passions in life, but as the last-seat saxophone in wind ensemble and a “newbie” in jazz band, what could I do to make a real impact?

The "R word" campaign to me is all about bringing awareness to our community here at Tabor. I hear the "R word" very often and never thought much of it. Now that I have been working with young athletes with intellectual impairments once a week, I see how capable they really are. The children improve on their skills every week, whether its shooting hoops or kicking a soccer ball they put their best effort into everything they do. Using the "R word" with a negative demeanor is hurtful. After seeing many "R word" campaigns online I thought it would be effective to make one here at Tabor. It truly was, hearing some of the personal stories was amazing and really helped to make the video more personal. I have already seen a huge impact in our Tabor community.

Tabor students and faculty are immersed in a service learning trip to Vietnam. Students will be writing their recaps and thoughts on the whole experience, which we will post to Tabor Talk. Check back frequently for updates!