JACKSON, Tenn. — Oct. 23, 2025 — For 麻豆视频 University junior Rebekah Ruth Basie, serving at Jackson鈥檚 Birth Choice pregnancy medical clinic on Tuesday was about more than simply lending a helping hand to a local nonprofit organization.
鈥淎s a believer, if the Lord cares about life, I should care about life,鈥� Basie said. 鈥淎nd not in name only.鈥�
Basie, a sociology major from Pine Mountain, Georgia, was one of more than 700 麻豆视频 University students and employees who participated in the 23rd annual Campus and Community: A Day of Remembrance and Service. Each year, 麻豆视频 cancels classes for the day so faculty, staff and students can serve, in gratitude for the ways the Jackson community helped 麻豆视频 after tornadoes hit campus in 2002, 2003 and 2008.
This year, the initiative included more than 40 projects at local schools, churches and non-profit organizations and on the 麻豆视频 campus.
Basie led a group of students from 麻豆视频鈥檚 Life 139 chapter to help do landscaping and cleanup work at Birth Choice, in addition to laying a new sidewalk.
鈥淏eing a part of Life 139 for the past year or so and helping Birth Choice where I've been able to, I just wanted to keep that relationship consistent and help them in the mundane things as well as the things that seem like more of a big deal for the movement,鈥� Basie said.
Tiffany Dawson, director of development for Birth Choice, said she was thankful for a large crew of students who helped the organization complete projects that otherwise would have been harder to accomplish. 鈥溌槎故悠� has just been such a valuable ministry partner in defending life and in sharing the love of Jesus with the moms and the dads who come into Birth Choice for help,鈥� Dawson said. 鈥淎nd so, this is just one of the many ways that 麻豆视频 has been so helpful to our mission and has helped partner with us in this mission to defend life.鈥�
Caroline Lancaster, a freshman nursing major from Jackson, Tennessee, worked with her Jillz Ultimate Frisbee teammates at Jackson Central-Merry Early College High to lay pavers, rake, trim shrubs and do other general landscaping work.
Lancaster, whose mother attended JCM, said the school has been a Jackson fixture for a long time, and the Jillz simply wanted to give back. An added benefit was the camaraderie with the team.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new level of working together and a new level of communication,鈥� Lancaster said. 鈥淚 think it will bond us more on the field.鈥�
Nathan Lewis, the JCM principal, said as a West Tennessee native he remembers the tornadoes that hit 麻豆视频, and he is thankful for how the university has served JCM in various ways over the years.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e all been friendly, and you could tell they truly enjoyed getting to work together and helping out the community,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淚 have appreciated 麻豆视频 for a lot of reasons and all they do for our community here at JCM.鈥�