Every fall, St. Ambrose students step out of the classroom and into the community for the annual Bee The Difference Day. The goal is simple: spend a few hours helping neighbors with yard work, but the impact goes much further. The event began in 2006 and is now a cherished campus tradition toward St. Ambrose’s commitment to community service and engagement.
Hundreds of Ambrosians spread across Davenport homes last Sunday, helping with everything from mowing grass, raking leaves, pulling weeds, and spreading mulch for residents who need an extra hand.
For students, it’s an opportunity to step outside of their daily routines and connect with those in the local community.
“For me, it feels like I’m doing something that brings value to different people,” says Alanna Lang, a student volunteer. “Some people may not be able to help out with certain things, so being able to help out other people really brings me joy.”
The event, organized by the SAU Student Government Association (SGA), connects students from all majors, athletic teams, and campus clubs with local residents while teaching the importance of teamwork and service.
“The mission is to bring students together, people from campus and around the community, to help rake leaves and support those who need it most,” says Ethan Trevino, freshman senator for SGA.
He added that the event does more than just strengthen teamwork skills. It embodies the university’s core values.
“It shows students what it means to be Ambrosian,” Trevino said. “That’s what St. Ambrose is all about — making sure everyone is included and part of the community.”
For many students, the best part isn’t raking the leaves, it’s about the impact of helping someone else.
“The most rewarding thing I would say is seeing the smiles on the person’s face. That really brought me a lot of joy, that I was able to help out today,” Lang adds.
Randall May believes the day’s impact goes beyond the work itself. “It definitely has to be that satisfaction of seeing a nice, cleaned yard and knowing I helped somebody,” he continues, “I felt very productive today. It’s made a difference by helping the community, and not many people will step out of their way to help others, so just for a group of people to go out and help the community makes such a large difference.”
Bee the Difference Day continues to grow with new students joining each year to carry on the Ambrosian tradition of service. And the giving doesn’t stop there. November marks Bee the Difference Month, and local SAU alumni are invited to volunteer on Saturday, November 8th at 10 a.m. at Vander Veer Park for another day of service.
