Small Simpson College put up big service numbers to win a nation-wide service competition.

Once again, Simpson has walked away with a distinguished service award.

The competition involved over 700 colleges and universities across the country.

As mentioned in the news story, the thousands of hours logged by full-time students and faculty is something to be proud of, and we should be honored to receive the notable honor.

It could not come at a better time as five Simpson groups went on service trips over the spring break week. Giving back to the community and donating time to those in need is something that the college prides itself on – and to be recognized for three straight years is not easy to do.

What do the 47,517 community service hours logged in 2008 by students mean?

They represent new homes for those in need, one-on-one attention with inner-city school children and compassion for the homeless in Des Moines. It is hours spent with boys and girls with Big Brothers Big Sisters, cleaning parks and helping students read.

It is spreading the idea of philanthropy and the acknowledgment of the positive impacts is contagious. By looking at the numbers one can see that more students than ever are getting involved with the community service. And that’s a fantastic thing.

Simpson has put itself on the college of map as a beacon of philanthropic work.

Besides the fact that students’ and faculty’s outreach has touched thousands of lives in recent years, it is also a great experience for those who take part.

It is an example of how Simpson’s lessons extend beyond the classroom and into the real world. Congratulations to the college and those who took part in the service programs in 2009, and we encourage more students to follow their lead in the years to come.