Bucknell Students partner with Union...

LEWISBURG — Students from Company B of Bucknell University's Management 101 course have partnered with the Union Township Fire Company of Union County.The volunteer fire station has been serving the community since its founding in 1958, providing firefighting and rescue services while also offering educational programs to promote fire safety awareness.Students have undertaken several projects organized by the company's service division to support the company, located at 40 Municipal Lane, Winfield, including building a new fence, creating a mural facing Route 15, and refurbishing outdoor event spaces at their Social Hall through external painting.Each project is being executed with sustainability in mind, focusing on sourcing materials locally, minimizing waste, and ensuring that the students leave a lasting impact, according to university officials.“Like every volunteer place in the world, we’re starving for members ... part of that is fundraising,” Heath Hansum, a volunteer with the Union Township Fire Company and a professor of theater and dance at Bucknell, said.The mural project consists of two large sheets of pressure-treated plywood (8-feet by 4-feet by 1⁄2-inch) on which the design will be painted. The mural will then be mounted on top of the company's hose tower, facing Route 15. Since the company consists of all volunteer firefighters, driving awareness is crucial.The mural project is an essential initiative for the Union Township Fire Company because it helps raise awareness about the vital role volunteer firefighters play in keeping the community safe, according to officials.Since the company is entirely staffed by volunteers, it relies heavily on community support, both for recruiting and securing donations. The increased visibility helps highlight the importance of their work, encourages more people to consider volunteering, and promotes community engagement, ensuring the fire company can continue to provide essential safety services, fire officials said.The fence and paint projects will improve the overall appearance of the social hall event space. As the social hall is the company's main source of income, improvements to the space will drive further usage.A more visually appealing and well-maintained space is likely to attract more bookings for events such as weddings, parties and community gatherings, which in turn generate additional revenue, fire officials said, benefiting the fire company financially and strengthening its connection to the community.“The volunteers do so much for our community — not just putting out fires — so our company wants to give back. Our partner, the UTFC, and their cause is at the heart of all of our operations,” Company B Service Division Vice President, Gabrianna Salvini, class of 2028, said.Management 101 is an experiential course pioneered at Bucknell in which students form real social enterprises, partner with local nonprofit organizations to create and implement meaningful community service projects.