May 19, 2025
As East Texas Baptist University students packed up their dorm rooms at the close of the semester, a new initiative invited them to give with purpose. Made New, a service project launched by students in the Service-Learning and Humanities class in partnership with the student organization Amigos Unidos, turned cast-off belongings into blessings for the broader East Texas community.
Over four collection days behind Steve and Penny Carlile Hall, students donated gently used items that would have otherwise ended up in campus dumpsters. The donations were given to two local nonprofit organizations, Hope's Closet and Treasures, which serve Marshall residents with compassion and dignity.
"The Kingdom of God is one of revival," senior humanities major and Made New Student Coordinator Nikolas Roudkovski said. "This project allows items that would've been thrown away to be Made New, bringing life to what was on the verge of death and hope to those who receive the items."
The idea was sparked by Assistant Professor of Spanish Ms. Blanca Jenkins, who noted how quickly dumpsters filled during student move-out. With that observation and a class goal of lasting impact, students responded with a solution that met material needs, modeled environmental stewardship, and strengthened community partnerships.
"This initiative invites students to live out the heart of Christ, serving others selflessly, stewarding resources wisely, and loving our neighbors in practical ways," sophomore communication major and Made New student coordinator Jessica Key said. "It's a small but powerful way to end the semester with intentionality, generosity, and a greater sense of purpose."
Students also found themselves reflecting on the deeper implications of stewardship and service. “As Christians, we believe that we should help where help is needed, but this is often made easy through initiatives that tell us where to serve and what to do,” Roudkovski added. “For this project, we had no such directives. We were able to intentionally seek out a problem that had not been addressed. I think this shows a major teaching point that ETBU has taught me: seek out the problems. Christ does not shy away from the hard and yet unaddressed problems, and as His imitators, neither should we."
The effort benefited local charities and fostered stronger bonds between ETBU and the Marshall community. "We believe this project can strengthen relationships between the university and our community, creating a spirit of mutual support," Key said.
Professor Jenkins, who guided the students in the planning process, hopes they walk away with a deeper understanding of teamwork, perseverance, and Christian calling. " I hope students learned that they have agency and that they can accomplish more working with others,” Jenkins said. “We are all part of the same body, and our goal is to honor God with everything we do. When something doesn't work the first time, you fine-tune it until you figure out how to accomplish your goal better."
By the end of the event, students had not only lightened their loads but also embodied the words of Isaiah 43:19: "See, I am doing a new thing... I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
Through the Made New service project, God's provision was seen in practical ways, and things that had been discarded became a means of hope.