Some 500 Hope College students will participate in service projects throughout the area through the college's "Time to Serve" program on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Some 500 Hope College students will participate in service projects throughout the area through the college's "Time to Serve" program on Saturday, Aug. 30.

The students, most of them members of the newly arrived freshman Class of 2007, will participate in the college's fourth annual "Time to Serve" volunteer program. They signed up for the mass volunteer effort on Saturday, Aug. 23, only a day after arriving on campus for "New Student Orientation" at Hope.

The program has multiple goals, according to its coordinator, Diana Breclaw, assistant dean of students for residential life and student activities. It is designed to help new students learn about service while helping and getting to know their community and becoming better acquainted with each other.

The project began in the fall of 2000 with 10 projects and about 100 participants, and grew to 38 projects and approximately 300 students in 2002. In October of 2001, "Time to Serve" 2000 received a 2001 Distinguished Service Award from Keep Michigan Beautiful Inc. during the group's Annual Conference.

This year, the students will be working in groups of eight to 12 at more than 40 sites from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Projects will range from trail maintenance at the DeGraaf Nature Center, to sorting clothing at the Holland Rescue Mission, to cleaning the beach at Dunton Park, to serving at many area schools and churches.