The first Veishea Community Service Day was a success, coordinators said, and they hope it will become another annual tradition.

“This was the first year for a community involvement day,” said Jen Peyser, Community Involvement co-chairwoman. “We wanted to be a presence in the community but not spread ourselves too thin.”

Peyser, senior in environmental science, said she felt the committee’s goals for Saturday’s event were met.

“I think we made an impact with the community,” she said. “We stayed focused on our kids theme. We got the Veishea community more committed to service events. We could do more in the future, but I’m happy for what we got done in the first year.”

Veishea committee members, Freshman Council and other campus groups helped with the events, said Kendra Nelson, Community Involvement co-chairwoman. Events were held with Beloit Children’s Home, 1323 Northwestern Ave., Youth Recovery House, 804 Kellogg Ave., Nevada Community High School and Habitat for Humanity.

Committee members also had tables at HyVee, 640 Lincoln Way, and Kmart, 1405 Buckeye Ave., to collect items for a wish list for Youth and Shelter Services.

“[For] everything they do at Habitat for Humanity, they rely on volunteers and donations,” said Nelson, senior in agronomy. “They were happy for what we could give them.”

While the first event was a success, Peyser thinks it can be bigger and keep its efficiency.

“Community Involvement Day can be done successfully and be better on a bigger scale,” she said. “I would like to see more organizations involved. I would like to get more campus organizations involved, make it a Veishea-coordinated Iowa State Community Day.”

A single day devoted to community service is more noticeable to the community, Peyser said.

“More people can be involved when it’s one single day,” she said. “The event is better organized and is associated with Veishea rather then random events.”

Jill Pierce, Veishea executive secretary, handed out wish lists at Kmart. She said the table caught people’s attention in the store and made them think about helping out more.

“People say the wish list sounds like a good effort,” said Pierce, senior in management. “Customers took lists and seemed interested in helping out.”

It’s important for Veishea to give back to the community, she said.

“It’s neat to have one big day, because it is a combined effort and increases awareness,” Pierce said. “It makes a big impact.”