April 10, 2017: As is the all-year round custom for the majority of NDU
faculty and staff members, Lent is another of those times when closets
are cleaned out and clothes and other personal items are donated to a
charity. The Department of Community Service and Awareness (CSA) at NDU
recently collaborated with Nusroto Association for the benefit of
Lebanese prisoners and later joined forces with the same association to
launch an initiative for 2017 titled, “Unchain My Heart” in the presence
of the guest of honor, Neshan Der Haroutiounian.
All three Campuses united with several Marian organizations, along with
NDU faculty members, staff, alumni and students to form a human chain.
The concept behind this event was to lay out the clothes on the ground
to form a human chain in the shape of a heart. Building on the idea, a
large rosary encircled the chain of clothes and ended next to the van at
the bottom of the chain, which carried all the donations.
Majed Bou Hadir, NDU CSA Officer, said, “One of our patron saints is St.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta who gave all her time and energy to provide
solace to those in need. It is through her works as a missionary that we
decided to take on this initiative, which for the past seven years has
become an NDU community tradition.”
Fr. Marwan Ghanem, Nusroto Association Founder and president, thanked
NDU for the heartwarming initiative and looked back on their first
collaboration with the University students when they painted the walls
of the Roumieh prison.
“Unchain My Heart” was one of several initiatives organized throughout
the year by the CSA; NDU will always contribute in enhancing the
potential of its faculty and staff members, and students by instilling
in them the doctrines of ethics, faith, and values.
The CSA was established at NDU to provide students with opportunities to
benefit their communities by working with non-profit organizations and
by adopting, planning, and realizing University-wide projects.