Govs Week of Service connects APSU volunteers with nonprofits
By: Meagan Potts June 18, 2025
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University students, faculty, and staff came together from June 10-13 to support the community during the annual Govs Week of Service, volunteering to support multiple local nonprofits.
The Office of Community Engagement and Sustainability partnered with the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library, Yaipak, Loaves and Fishes, and the Ajax Turner 50+ Center to organize a series of successful community outreach events. The initiative provided a meaningful opportunity for the campus community to learn about local nonprofit organizations while providing assistance.
Volunteers from Austin Peay State University help serve meals at Loaves and Fishes during the annual Govs Week of Service. | Photo by Robyn White
“As both a social work professor and practicing clinician, I’ve always believed that service isn’t just something you teach or prescribe - it’s something you live,” said Dr. Dava Wilson, visiting assistant professor of social work. “When I volunteer at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library and the Ajax Turner 50+ Center alongside my daughter and grandson, I’m not just giving back to my community; I’m planting seeds for the future.”
This year, APSU volunteers worked closely with Loaves and Fishes by assisting with food sorting and organizing donations within the warehouse. The nonprofit addresses hunger by distributing food to various agencies through volunteer support and serving approximately 45,000 to 50,000 on-site meals each year.
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. volunteer to organize space in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library during the Govs Week of Service. | Photo by Robyn White
The largest group of volunteers for the week joined the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library on June 12 to organize materials, assist with shelving, and prepare resources for upcoming library programs. Their efforts supported the library's mission to promote literacy, lifelong learning, and community engagement.
“Every book we shelve, every meal we serve, [and] every hand we hold is a lesson in compassion that transcends generations,” Wilson said. “My hope is that by serving together, we're building more than just stronger communities - we're building a family legacy of service and nurturing hearts that will continue to give long after I'm gone. True social work begins at home, with the values we pass down and the example we set."
About the Govs Week of Service
Austin Peay State University's annual Govs Week of Service is coordinated by the Office of Community Engagement and Sustainability, part of the Division of Student Affairs. The week is designed to actively involve the APSU campus community in a range of purposeful and collaborative community service endeavors to increase awareness of social and environmental issues.