Photo courtesy of Sydnee Horstman. Pictured above, Ambrose students do yard work for nearby houses. 

An annual tradition at St. Ambrose, Bee the Difference Day is an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to volunteer and give back to the community. 

“Bee the Difference Day is a service project where students and faculty come together to help out the community with yard work, typically for houses that have signed up around campus,” SAU sophomore and Student Government Association (SGA) Director of Government Operations, Kaiya McKinley says. 

She says that the overall goal of Bee the Difference Day is to ease the lives of community members who live near campus. Volunteers typically participate in yard work such as raking leaves and mulching. 

While this year’s Bee the Difference Day was delayed a week due to weather conditions, students are still as excited as ever. 

Photo courtesy of Carley McGovern. Pictured above, Ambrose students gather rakes as they wait for their housing assignments. 

“My favorite part of Bee the Difference Day is a bunch of Ambrosians coming together on a Sunday,” Ambrose Junior Class President Matt Ardaugh says. “We could be anywhere in the world, yet we all choose to get together on this Sunday to give back to our community.”

Not only is this event a way for students to get volunteer hours, it is also a source of connection whether with other students, staff, or community members beyond St. Ambrose University. 

“You never know who you’re going to meet, whether students or people who live in the houses,” McKinley says. “It just really brings everyone together in multiple ways.”

Father Dale Mallory kicked off this exciting day with an opening prayer, and students were gathered for a group photo.

Photo courtesy of Carley McGovern. Pictured above, students and staff take a group photo at Bee the Difference Day. 

McKinley explains that fliers were sent out to houses that have signed up in the past and to other nearby residences. The residents of these houses let SGA know what they need, and the volunteers do their very best to accommodate those needs. 

“Our community does so much for us at St. Ambrose University, so if we can go out and help over 50 houses in the community and help people when they can’t do their own yards, that’s a huge deal,” Ardaugh says. 

McKinley says her favorite part about this event is the help from all of the SGA senators. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”

“It’s what being an Ambrosian is all about,” Ardaugh says. “One of our core values is service after all.” 
SGA will continue to host this annual event every November. SAU students and staff who would like to participate in future Bee the Difference Days should look out for emails from [email protected].