‘Make me a servant’: Third annual Serve Day brings community together

Photos by Noah Shumake and Jacob Chapman

The Hartselle community came together in a big way this past weekend to serve each other by participating in the third annual Serve Day.

More than 500 volunteers, representing 30 non-profit organizations and churches, wore their red T-shirts and got to work on projects like mulching and landscaping at Hartselle City Schools and making repairs at residents’ homes and area churches.

Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce President Missy Evans said Serve Day was started three years ago as a way to unify those in the community who love where they live and want to see it improve.

The annual event was started by Life Church and now is a part of the chamber’s non-profit cohort.

“Serve Day is a day we take to all come together and help improve the community we love,” Evans said. “When we work alongside each other, we all begin to feel invested in it.”

The outcome of Serve Day, Evans said, is a heightened sense of civic engagement for participants and those who benefit from the work that was done, as well as spreading the love of Christ with neighbors in the Hartselle area.

Serve Day 2020 happened this past year but in a modified way, with the pivotal pep rally that brings everyone together being held virtually, instead of in-person. Evans sad each organization hosted their group at a remote site, and the chamber shared the speakers’ presentations through live video. Coach Bryan Moore was the special guest speaker for the virtual event in 2020.

This year, the pep rally was able to happen.

“From what I’ve heard, that’s a lot of the fun, so we are glad to have that back this year,” Evans said. “The pep rally was held at the Depot, with all organizations joining together in person.”

This year’s speakers were Pastor Jimmy Watson, Sen. Arthur Orr, Rep. Scott Stadthagen, Principal Rocky Smith and, via a recording, Mayor Randy Garrison.

Presenting sponsor for the event was Corum’s Building and Farm Center. Other sponsors included:

– State Rep. Scott Stadthagen, breakfast sponsor

–Hartselle Family Dentistry, T-shirt sponsor

–Redstone Federal Credit Union, lunch sponsor

–Morgan County Baptist Association, lunch provider

–Greater Morgan County Builders Association, pep rally sponsor

–Tier 1 location sponsors: Magnolia River, Hartselle First United Methodist Church, Hartselle First Assembly, Diamond Pro and Thompson Homes

–Tier 3 location sponsors: Forever Kate, American Legion Post 52 and Habitat for Humanity of Morgan County