Trinity Treasure

Do It Day

If it’s the first Saturday after fall classes begin, it must be Trinity College’s Do It Day. Every year since 1999—with the exception of 2020 because of the pandemic—Trinity students have fanned out across Greater Hartford to take part in a day of service. In 2024, nearly 400 students—representing 15 athletic teams, JELLO, and the Trinity Homelessness Project, as well as P.R.I.D.E. leaders/cultural house coordinators—participated in the College’s 25th Do It Day. Eighteen community organizations, from Goodwin Park to Habitat for Humanity ReStore to A Place of Grace Food Pantry and more, benefited from the students’ efforts, including basic landscaping, gardening, tree planting, and cleaning. According to Joe Barber, director of community service and civic engagement and the event’s founder, due to capacity issues, Do It Day underwent a bit of a reorientation in 2015, evolving from a project open to the whole campus to a smaller one primarily concentrated on athletic teams and P.R.I.D.E. leaders/cultural house coordinators. “It has worked well to have a more focused approach, and Athletics and the Office of Multicultural Affairs have been great partners in this endeavor,” Barber said. “We are better able to run a quality event that is a positive experience for both the Trinity participants and community partners.”

Photo by Helder Mira