Nemsie Gonzalez
Copy Editor
Rake-A-Difference is one of the premier volunteer events on campus, taking place annually since 2013. Run by the Wooster Volunteer Network (WVN), the event enlists campus volunteers to rake yards within the Wooster community. According to one of the organizers, Bella Woodbury ’26, the event gives “the Wooster community a chance to engage with students and get free yard work.”
This event is especially important to the senior citizens in the community who may be unable to rake the leaves themselves. Woodbury remarked, “We raked one elderly woman’s yard this weekend who came out and said she was very thankful we came out because she lived alone and was unable to take care of her yard.”
Somarr Elliot ’25, WVN president, also highlighted the hopes that went into planning the event: “I hope volunteers gain an appreciation for the wider Wooster community. I feel as though Wooster students are in a bubble and don’t get to interact with the outside community. I hope that this event can help break that bubble from both sides while giving students a fun bonding experience at the same time.”
The goal was well received and the experience achieved by nearly every volunteer. Rachel Applebaum ’26 noted that “It was a great experience overall seeing the homeowners of the houses we raked so happy!”
Emma Jones ’25 highlighted how the event helps to create a relationship with Wooster beyond campus that students otherwise would not have. “It’s a great way to both explore the community and get involved, and I had a lot of fun with my friends during the event because I felt like I was making a difference in an area of the community I otherwise do not get to interact with very much.”
The event itself was broken up into two shifts, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12 p.m to 2 p.m., to make the event more accessible to those with busy schedules. Upon signing in, volunteers were able to pick out a rake and separate into groups to begin raking leaves on their predetermined paths. During two hour shifts, volunteers worked together as a team to clean up a number of large yards. Upon completion of their shift, volunteers were rewarded with lots of apple cider, donuts and WVN T-shirts. While the work at times can be tedious, most students reported the hard work as one of their favorite parts of the event. Applebaum claimed, “My favorite moment was working together to get all the leaves off the lawns.”
For many students, Rake-A-Difference provides an opportunity to bond with their Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) groups and athletic teams, with a large number of attendees being from FSL and the Wooster cheer team. “It’s a good way to get volunteer hours,” Khally Minich ’25 said. “I loved it. It’s something active and outside and I do it every year. Genuinely it is so much fun and a nice opportunity to go outside and have a lot of fun with your friends.” These sentiments were echoed by Ava Romell ’27 who said, “My experience with Rake-A-Difference was great! My favorite part was being with my friends while I made a positive impact on the community.”
Raking the yards of the local community might seem frivolous to some, but Ella Weber ’24 reminds us of its larger impact. “I think it’s easy to hold the perception that Rake-A-Difference has a minute impact on the community because it’s just leaves, but it’s still important work. Especially living in a community with vast economic disparities and lots of elderly citizens.”
Elliot further discussed how WVN extended the impact of the event in the planning stage. “[One] aspect that was unique to this year was a sit-down with our sustainability director, Brian Webb. As a board, we listen to our members and their feedback. We received criticism about the environmental impacts that raking may cause and voiced our concerns to Brian Webb. After this talk, we adjusted our schema accordingly to best serve our members’ desires and fulfill our duty to the environment.”
The last WVN event of the semester will be blanket making with the Office of Student Engagement on Dec. 1. WVN will be hosting more events next semester including Weekend of Service. To get involved, students can reach out to wvn@wooster.edu.