“Let’s do something good together.” This phrase launched the Strength & Hope Campaign for Olivet Nazarene University in June 2022, and has been a guiding theme for how the University engages with and in the community.
On September 4, the Office of Development invited 160 honored members of Kankakee County to campus for an inspiring luncheon in Chalfant Hall in celebration of the power of community. Attendees included business and nonprofit leaders, church partners, alumni and University faculty and staff.
Strength & Hope
The purpose of the event was to invite the community to help fund three specific initiatives to support students through scholarships — including a unique scholarship to assist students who earn their associate’s degree from Kankakee Community College to complete a bachelor’s degree at Olivet. Additional opportunities included the enhancement of facilities and scholarships to support the University’s fine arts programs and events, and capital improvements on Chalfant Hall, which is regularly utilized by the community.
Susan Wolff ’94/’02 MBA, associate vice president for Institutional Advancement and the director of the Strength & Hope Campaign, was the host of the event, and Matt McBurnie ’96, vice president for Institutional Advancement at Riverside Medical Center, served as the MC.
“The campaign is more than a fundraising effort,” Wolff said, “I think you’ve kind of caught that spirit today. It’s a chance for all of us — neighbors, alumni, educators and friends — to express what we’re doing good together… today we’re inviting you to be a part of this ongoing chapter together, thriving as a community and celebrating one another.”
To emphasize the strong bonds that already exist between the University and greater Kankakee County, Wolff shared statistics which showcased Olivet’s value to the community not only as an academic funnel for developing highly-qualified future employees, but as an established partner with deep investment in the success of the community itself.
Inspiration & Encouragement
Bob Goff, New York Times best-selling author, provided an engaging keynote address during the event. Earlier in the morning, Goff spoke in Centennial Chapel, encouraging the students, faculty and staff to take hold of the year by being intentional in their relationships. He built on that theme while speaking to members of the community during the luncheon.
“Thanks for loving your neighbors;” Goff said, “thanks for being a community that doesn’t just think about this stuff, but you have a vision for what you want. You have a strategy for loving people across the street…I want us to continue to lead people with love, and then we’ll see where that ends up. It’s going to be a little messy along the way, but we’ll get there — and we’ll get there together.”
In closing, Goff prayed a blessing over the University and the community to continue to develop and invest in the generations of students who get to experience Kankakee County.
“Jesus thank you so much for this community of friends. Give us the guts and the grit to not just agree with it to take the next crazy step… The staff and the students: prosper them, let them go deeper in their faith, deeper in their community, and make them resilient to all the distractions around them. We just acknowledge that we, as a community, can make a difference in this university that will be lasting for generations to come.”
The program also included a candid conversation between Amber Residori ’93/’17 Ed.D. and the president and CEO of Riverside Medical Center, Phil Kambic, about the enduring relationship between Olivet and Riverside. In addition to providing educational partnerships including clinical experiences for nursing students, practicum hours for social work students, internships for finance and marketing students, and plenty of employment opportunities for University alumni, in the past few years, Riverside Medical Center has launched a number of scholarships to specifically support Olivet students. These scholarships include annual financial support of two ROTC students, who are pursuing healthcare careers, as well as providing two annual scholarships that cover two years of tuition for Olivet nursing students who commit to working at the hospital for three years after graduation.
University President Gregg Chenoweth ’90, Ph.D., also spoke, sharing powerful examples of former students who benefitted from scholarship support during their time at the institution. He then introduced and welcomed Warren Ouwenga, a local entrepreneur who, with his wife Sharon, spent decades generously investing in both the community and Olivet, to deliver concluding thoughts.
“I have lived and worked in Kankakee County most of my life…” Ouwenga reflected. “…we’ve seen this become an open beacon of blessing in this community… Olivet is benefitting us socially, economically, educationally and especially, spiritually — Olivet is a major asset in our community…When Sharon and I were trying to figure out how to give back to the community, we wanted to do that financially supporting places that can make an impact… that place is Olivet.”
