A Culture of Service: Volunteer Appreciation Month at PBA

Woven into the fabric of Palm Beach Atlantic University's (PBA) story is a culture that values service. From its inception, PBA incorporated the belief that service to others was a way to worship God, and instituted Workship, or volunteer hours, as a requirement for each student. Beyond volunteering in the community, many volunteers keep the University going and growing in excellence. As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month, we pause to reflect on the culture of service that permeates the PBA culture.

Touching Countless Lives Through Workship

PBA students have dedicated over 4 million hours of service across Palm Beach County and beyond. Many students describe participating in Workship as pivotal to their education and experience at PBA. For example, it was through volunteering in Workship with an inner-city ministry that alumna Daniella Darling realized her passion for serving this community. After graduation she went on staff with Urban Youth Impact. Countless students have remarked that their lives were changed by the act of serving others.

Another example is Bailey Hughes, PBA Alumna and Founder and Director of The Hands and Feet, credits her volunteer experience at PBA with equipping her for her current roleToday, Hughes's ministry touches the lives of foster children in Palm Beach County, Broward County and the Treasure Coast, by delivering essential items and resources in their time of need. This passion to serve stems from her volunteer hours through Workship at PBA.

Volunteers Keep PBA Going and Growing

Serving is not restricted to students at PBA. Many business leaders and professionals serve on PBA boards as a way of giving back and equipping the next generation of leaders. Currently, PBA has eight Centers of Excellence, all of which are powered by volunteers. There is also an alumni board, made up of graduates of PBA, who want to give back. Here are a few highlights of how our volunteers support the various Centers of Excellence and beyond at PBA.

The LeMieux Center for Public Policy Advisory board members help identify and support the LeMieux Center Lecture Series, which features notable speakers on issues of public policy and servant leadership.

Over 100 volunteer Advisory Board Members for the Titus Center for Franchising are instrumental in driving the vision of becoming the preeminent global leader in franchise education through their advocacy, mentorship of students and financial partnership.

The Center for Financial Literacy (CFL) Advisory Board is committed to promoting financial literacy in the Palm Beaches and beyond, by equipping individuals for wise financial decisions by building a deeper understanding of concepts like saving, investing, budgeting, giving, and managing debts. Currently, seven members on this board help to develop new initiatives through the Center and evaluate CFL's programs.

The Center for Global Leadership Advisory Board's eight members seek to progresses the vision of the center to be a world-class leadership training center that provides exceptional educational programs designed to produce transformative leaders who are catalysts of human flourishing in all their spheres of influence to be a world-class leadership training center that provides exceptional educational programs designed to produce transformative leaders who are catalysts of human flourishing in all their spheres of influence.

The Warren Board of Reference unites over 70 passionate community members who share Dr. Donald Warren's (the founding chairman of PBA) vision and commitment to advancing PBA's mission. With diverse expertise, the board collaborates to guide and support university leadership.

Palm Beach Atlantic University's Board of Trustees (with over 25 officers and trustees) provides oversight for the University and also sets PBA's mission and vision.

A Legacy of Service

Even at PBA's founding, with the compassionate vision of Dr. Jess Moody, to the present day, the spirit of service through volunteering permeates PBA's culture. Granddaughter of Dr. Moody, Jessica Moody Bruce, volunteers as the president of the PBA Alumni Board with seven other members.

The Alumni Association Board of Directors volunteers their time to advise and work with the Alumni Relations Office at the University to develop effective alumni programs which support the mission and continued development of PBA.

"Volunteering for PBA is my way of giving back to the students and alumni while also carrying on the legacy and vision God gave my granddad, Dr. Jess Moody," Bruce said. "As Sailfish, we have more in common than simply [attending] the same university. We have a unique servant heart for others and a desire to follow Christ's example to spread love and grace in a broken world. This unites us at a deeper spiritual level. By coming together, we can sharpen each other to be a light for Christ in South Florida."

To find out more about PBA, visit: https://www.pba.edu