Helping Hands Reach out to Students Moving In

"Do you need an extra hand?" Dale McGirr, UC vice president for finance, called to Willette Crawford and her daughter, Leah, a sophomore arriving on campus to move into Sawyer Hall. Parents and UC students were gratefully accepting similar offers, as 150 volunteers from the University of Cincinnati community pitched in to help students move into the residence halls. Administrators, faculty and staff provided greetings, directions and assistance getting everything from clothes to sports equipment to stereos and books into the residence halls, as they kicked off "Helping Hands" under the university's new Quality Service Initiative.

The UC Helping Hands wore red T-shirts decorated with two large helping hands on the front and back, as well as their button, "Thank You for Choosing UC" and their Just Community pin. The move-in effort was a demonstration of the university's can-do community, and Sallie Heart, co-chair of Helping Hands, says the volunteers and the movers all had a good time. "Yesterday, I spent a lot of time running cups of water to people, and they thought that was great. We wanted to show UC was a sensitive community and a welcoming community. It's been a lot of fun."

Heart adds she heard one family ran for their camera when they came across a Helping Hands volunteer at Calhoun Hall Thursday. "I heard a man asked, 'Can I leave my stuff here?' and another person said, 'Sure, that white-haired man will watch it for you.' After asking who the white-haired man was, he realized it was UC President Joseph A. Steger and he wanted to get a picture."

Other top administrators offering Helping Hands included Mitchel Livingston, vice president for Student Affairs and Human Resources, and Fred Siff, vice president, Information Technology.

"Do you have a lot to unload?" Fontella Harris of the Office of Food and Housing asked a weary looking father. "Of course," was the answer. "I have a girl!"

Harris, John Ndulue (social sciences) and Jane Buchanan (administrative assistant for the Department of Infectious Diseases) were doing some heavy lifting at Siddall Hall as they helped the students move in. Harris adds the community spirit was both helpful and reassuring for parents. "We actually had a parent ask for the president's name, because they wanted to let him know how friendly everyone was and how efficient they were. They felt that by coming to UC, they were leaving their child in good hands."