| University Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations | |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
| 412.260.6807 (cell) | |
| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
More Than 300 Students Will Help Out at a Dozen Local Community Organizations
Pittsburgh, Pa. – More than 300 Carlow University students will set aside their books and laptops and pick up a shovel and rake….a paint brush…or whatever they are directed to do…at a dozen different community organizations in Allegheny County on Friday, September 19, 2014 to commemorate Carlow’s annual Mercy Service Day.
Mercy Service Day, which is named in honor of Carlow’s founders: The Sisters of Mercy, is an annual event where Carlow students learn the value of helping others through service learning, a value that has been integrated into the curriculum and reinforces the University’s mission and heritage as a school founded by the Sisters of Mercy.
“Service to others is an important part of our students’ experience here,” said Sister Sheila Carney, Special Assistant to the President for Mercy Heritage. “Carlow was founded by the Sisters of Mercy, and service is a tradition that goes back to the Sisters’ founder, Catherine McAuley.”
Students will attend a morning rally at the St. Agnes Center of Carlow University beginning at 8 a.m. They will get their assignments to one of more than a dozen different community organizations or social service agencies throughout the county. They will depart the St. Agnes Center at approximately 9:30 for their assigned destination.
The Carlow students will be assisting the following organizations: Bethlehem Haven, Gwen’s Girls, Heritage Community initiatives, Three Rivers Youth, ACH Clear Pathways. Blind and Vision Services of Pittsburgh, Sojourner House, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Computer Reach, The Center for Creative Reuse, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, and The Corner.
The agencies involved help improve the lives of the citizens of Allegheny County through a variety of services, such as: providing emergency shelter, helping addicted mothers recover, preparing young children for school, and bettering lives for families.
### Editor’s Note: The media is invited to cover the events of the ninth annual Mercy Service Day. Please contact Drew Wilson at (412) 578-2095 or on his cell at (412) 260-6807 to arrange a meeting site.
About Carlow University
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carlow University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929. Offering both undergraduate and graduate programs, Carlow University is a comprehensive master’s institution dedicated to learner-centered education at the collegiate levels and at the elementary school level in the Campus School of Carlow University.