Grant Give Back: Serving with Purpose in Hazard, Kentucky
Grant Career Center students are once again making a powerful impact beyond the classroom—this time in Hazard, Kentucky—as part of the annual Grant Give Back Service Learning Trip.
This year’s trip brought students face-to-face with the true meaning of service, leadership, and community.
Tuesday: Honoring Our Veterans
After arriving in Hazard on Tuesday, students jumped right into action by hosting a cookout for approximately 120 veterans. But this wasn’t just about food—it was about connection.
Students served meals, sat side-by-side with veterans, and took time to listen to their stories—stories of service, sacrifice, and resilience. These conversations left a lasting impression, reminding students that giving back isn’t always about building something—it’s about being present.
🔨 Wednesday: Rolling Up Their Sleeves
Wednesday was a full day of hands-on service across multiple locations:
📍 Calvary Retreat Center (Letcher County)
Students tackled outdoor projects including ground work, weed eating, mowing, and general maintenance, helping improve the grounds for future visitors and community use.
🌸 Steel Magnolias Flower Shop (New Business Opening)
At a soon-to-open local business, students played a key role in getting the space ready. Their work included:
Painting shelves
Framing in coolers
Caulking windows
S
crubbing floors
Their efforts are helping bring a new business to life—supporting both economic growth and community pride in Hazard.
🍳 Refueling Together
After a long day of service, students gathered for a well-earned meal at Huddle House—sharing stories, laughs, and reflecting on the impact they made together.
❤️ More Than a Trip
The Grant Give Back trip to Hazard is more than a few days away—it’s an opportunity for students to apply their skills, build relationships, and serve others in meaningful ways.
Through every meal served, every weed trimmed, and every floor scrubbed, our students are proving what it means to live out the Grant Career Center mission:
Do Good. Be Great.
Grant Give Back Returns to Hazard: Students Continue a Mission of Service
BETHEL, OH — The journey is officially underway—and it’s one rooted in purpose and commitment.
Early this morning, Grant Career Center students loaded up vans and departed campus around 9:00 AM for Hazard as part of the Grant Give Back Out-of-Town Service Learning Trip.
This year marks the third year Grant Career Center has traveled to Hazard—an effort that began in response to the devastating Eastern Kentucky floods of 2022. What started as a relief effort has grown into an ongoing partnership, with students returning each year to continue supporting the community.
A total of 40 students and 11 staff members were selected for the trip. Students were required to apply, making this a competitive opportunity for those chosen to represent Grant Nation.
Over the next three days, students will put their skills into action across multiple service sites, including:
Hosting a cookout for residents at the
Paul E. Patton Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center
Completing a service project at a local flower shop in
Isom
Assisting with improvement projects at the
Calvary Campus Retreat Center
Students are scheduled to return on Friday following their time in Eastern Kentucky.
“This trip is about putting our skills into action and showing students the impact they can make beyond our walls,” said Mike Parry. “Giving and service doesn’t necessarily involve reaching into your pockets—we can serve others by using the skills our students are learning every day.”
From disaster response to sustained service, Grant Career Center continues to demonstrate what it means to show up—not just once, but year after year.
As the vans pulled away this morning, they carried more than tools and supplies—they carried a mission:
Do Good. Be Great.