The St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) Office of Alumni Relations launched 2025 Bay to Bay Service Days with seven projects on campus and across St. Mary's County on Sunday, April 6. The nationwide service month, begun in 2017, involves SMCM alumni chapters across the country who come together for service projects in their local communities.
"As members of St. Mary's College of Maryland, we often talk about the St. Mary's Way, and this past weekend’s Bay to Bay Service Days kickoff was a powerful example of what that really looks like," said Holly Fabbri '12/MAT '13, associate director of alumni relations. "Alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members came together in the spirit of collaboration, service and engagement to make a meaningful difference on campus and throughout Southern Maryland."
On Sunday, approximately 175 student, faculty, staff and community members came together for four on-campus projects as well as three in the community. Groups of students worked on campus to complete a campus cleanup effort; make sustainable dog chew toys from old T-shirts in support of the Linda L. Kelley Animal Shelter in Calvert County; assemble bagged lunches for HOPE SMC and spring maintenance at the Kate Chandler Campus Community Farm.
"We were thrilled to collaborate with the alumni office on this event, and it made my heart soar to see so many of our students enthusiastically participating in service projects," said Caroline King, director of the SMCM Office of Community Outreach and Engagement. King's group of student and alumni volunteers prepared 50 bagged lunches to provide healthy meals and snacks for HOPE SMC through the Church of Ascension Food Pantry in Lexington Park. Funding for the project came from a Maryland Higher Education Commission grant.
Another group of students worked at nearby Historic St. Mary's City (HSMC), helping to perform landscape maintenance outside the visitor center. "Community is everything out here; our only neighbors are at the college and we really appreciate the neighborly spirit that they have been showing us," said Brooke Moe, volunteer coordinator for HSMC. "We've been working and collaborating with the college with a lot of volunteer opportunities; the students are really engaged, they really want to get out and help their community. I'm really impressed and really thankful."
Camp Maria Retreat Center, outside Leonardtown, was the site of another project. Students and community members pitched in with center staff to work on landscaping, painting and other maintenance projects. "[Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations] Dave Sushinsky '02 is on the board for Camp Maria and he told me about Bay to Bay Service Days," said Greg Shedd, director of the center. "I am amazed at everything we got done and the terrific help we got from all of our volunteers."
Students also partnered with community volunteers and staff from St. Mary's County Community Development Corporation to assist with planting crops and garden maintenance at Lexington Manor Passive Park Community Garden in Lexington Park.
Campus units and student organizations that contributed to the projects included the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), the Sustainability Club and WiSH (Women in Science House). "Sustainability Club is really passionate about empowering students on campus to make more eco-friendly changes," said Kirby Kirby '26, president of the Sustainability Club and coordinator of the campus cleanup project. "We wanted to be part of this project so that we could inspire people to get out and clean our community. [C]ommunity work like this has a rewarding feeling for people who do it, it doesn't just help other people but it helps yourself, too."
CCPD has extended the spirit of Bay to Bay Service Days through "Volunteer Week," with projects supporting Trinity Church, St. Mary's Caring Soup Kitchen, and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum the week of April 7 - 13.
"Bay to Bay Service Days were an absolute blast! Working alongside students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members and close friends to give back to such wonderful organizations was truly inspiring," said Cindy Greb '87, executive director of CCPD. "These initiatives, like Bay to Bay Service Days and Volunteer Week, not only foster civic responsibility but also boost students' resumes and professional skills."
