Though service learning is often an essential part of the college academic experience, it often goes much further for students. Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids tries to make this happen for many students at Grand Valley State University. In fact, it has become the basis for a strong partnership between the two.

GVSU was presented with the 2016 Service Award at the third annual “Gilda’s Night of Gratitude” Tuesday, Nov. 15. Other awards were given for community partnership and corporate engagement.

Gilda’s Club was founded over 16 years ago to support those whose lives have been affected by cancer. Since then the club has cemented itself as a safe space to heal and volunteer in West Michigan. Gilda’s Club associate, Shawn Ruetz, says students are a large part of that strong reputation.

“It’s a wonderful relationship we share with Grand Valley,” she said. “There are so many aspects to what we do and Grand Valley is such a large university. We’re touched by the university in so many ways.”

The club has a strong volunteer base in the surrounding Grand Rapids area.

Each year the leadership team and board of directors of Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids work through deciding recipients for service awards. They start with a list of possible recipients before narrowing it down to a few candidates for each award. These candidates are chosen on the basis of which has had the largest impact on Gilda’s Club and its mission. This year, many different departments and programs on campus helped GVSU claim the 2016 Service Award.

“Grand Valley’s year-long engagement is made possible by so many people,” Ruetz said. “It expands into so many departments and divisions. So many people have contributed.”

For Ruetz, the breadth of support from all of the volunteers from several unexpected groups has been inspiring. Only a short list of GVSU departments that often contribute includes social work, hospitality and tourism management, occupational therapy and nursing. Third party groups such as the women’s golf team and GVSU Latin American alumni often hold fundraisers and donate the proceeds to Gilda’s Club.

“It’s about the hands-on experience students can have and how it prepares them for real word work, learning things that they simply couldn’t learn in a classroom,” said Ruth Stegeman, associate dean of the College of Community and Public Service and the director for community engagement.

Gilda’s Club has long been effective in providing student volunteers with meaningful learning-based opportunities. For GVSU, the care Gilda’s Club shows students makes the organization an ideal partner.

“That’s what we look for in our partnerships: these mutually beneficial experiences, (they) go a long way,” Stegeman said.

She said participating with Gilda’s Club is ideal for students as well due to its close proximity to campus and other organizations that make up one of GVSU’s “downtown neighborhoods.” This makes it easy for students to not only contribute to Gilda’s Club’s cause, but to strengthen a community as a whole.

“We’re in this neighborhood together so the question is ‘How can Grand Valley contribute to that west side?'” Stegeman said. “Partnering with Gilda’s Club is one way we hope the community can benefit.”