At the University of Notre Dame, service to the world and others is an integral part of its mission. When founder Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., arrived in northern Indiana, he wrote, “This college cannot fail to succeed. Before long, it will develop on a large scale. It will be one of the most powerful means for good in this country.”

In this spirit, the Notre Dame Alumni Association hosted the inaugural Notre Dame Global Day of Service — a day designated for Notre Dame students, alumni, parents and friends around the world to serve in their communities — on April 29.

Workers helping install a deck on Notre Dame's Global Day of Service

Left double quote symbolWhen we set out to create the Notre Dame Global Day of Service, we knew the Notre Dame family had the power to make a meaningful impact in communities all over the world, but to see that impact in action has been both breathtaking and humbling. For thousands of alumni, parents, and friends to so willingly jump in to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors in need speaks to the sincerity with which this community takes our call to be a force for good in the world.”

— Dolly Duffy, executive director, Notre Dame Alumni Association
  • A boy stands in a backyard wearing yard gloves and is holding a trash bag.
  • Two people sit on the floor in a classroom cutting fabric to make blankets.
  • A man and two boys fill plastic bags with snacks.
  • Three people stand at a table with food to raise awareness for the Feeding America program.
  • Three women stand at a counter with bags of food.
  • Four adults stand at a table filling paper bags with food.
  • A woman cleans shelves that hold toys.
  • A woman cuts a fleece blanket.
  • People stand in a stocked food pantry.
  • Four young ladies lay on a pile of bags filled with donated clothes.
  • Four people in aprons stand in a kitchen.
  • Three people wearing hard hats stand in a yard. One is holding a shovel.
  • A large group of people in a kitchen load boxes with food.
  • A group of boys stand in front of a blanket on the ground that displays all the hygiene products they collected.
  • Two people plant seeds in a greenhouse.
  • A group of women sit at a table creating tissue paper flowers.
  • A group of three stand by a patio table with bags of clothing on it.
  • A large group of volunteers pose for a photo inside a greenhouse.
  • A group of people plants flowers in an alley.
  • A man mows a lawn.
  • A woman carries a bag of mulch.
  • A group of volunteers pose for a picture in a wooded area.
  • Several volunteers work on the landscaping in a front yard.
  • A group of people stand by a car with the tailgate open showing all the boxes of diapers they collected.
  • A group of boys shows all the toiletries they collected and organized into plastic bags.
  • A group of people at a table put sandwiches in plastic baggies.
  • Paper bags with kind notes written on them.
  • A group of volunteers pose for a photo in their aprons.
  • A group of people in a warehouse pack boxes of food.
  • Three people pose for a photo near boxes of food.
  • Two men holding documents.
  • A boy carries a trash bag across a backyard.
  • A woman cleans a sidewalk with a broom.
  • A man rakes a yard.
  • Three women clean up landscaping in a yard.
  • A boy drags a bag of trash across a backyard.
  • A group of volunteers pose in front of a house.
  • A woman carries a lamp.
  • A man pick up trash with a pole grabber in a backyard.
  • A man puts a box on a pallet in a warehouse.

Read more about the Global Day of Service

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