Collaboration and Connection
Building Community With
2025 Whitworth Community Building Day
Richard smiles for the camera with his new friend.
On September 24, The Arc of Spokane’s Community Center buzzed with creativity and connection as first-year Whitworth University students joined Community Center members for Whitworth’s Community Building Day. This annual tradition, which began more than a century ago, sends new students across Spokane to serve and learn alongside their neighbors. It’s more than just a day of volunteering — it’s a hands-on introduction to the values of community engagement, empathy, and inclusion.
At The Arc, students and members worked shoulder to shoulder on a collaborative mural and individual art projects that now brighten the Community Center’s wall. Mornings in the Community Center are usually quiet, but this one quickly grew lively as students helped members settle at tables covered with paint, markers, and paper. Conversations flowed easily, and laughter carried across the room.
Richard, wearing his Seahawks hat, worked carefully on his project. “It’s a Seahawks thing,” he explained with pride when asked what he was making. Though he admitted he doesn’t usually join The Arc’s art activities, he was glad he did this time. His favorite part of the day was simple: “Meeting the students.”
A group of students preparing to start the mural
Ear-to-ear grin during this special project.
Andrea, with her stuffed dog Bravo on her lap, poured her heart into her project. “I’m making a flower for mom because she’s going into her surgery and so it makes her feel better when she recovers from her surgery and Bravo is just having fun on my lap. And I love doing this with the students and it’s kind of just being happy.”
For many Community Center members, art is more than a pastime — it’s a way to express emotions, tell stories, and connect with others. The act of creating something together fosters a sense of pride and belonging. For students, the experience offers a chance to step outside the classroom and build relationships with people whose life experiences may differ from their own. These moments of shared creativity help break down barriers and build empathy.
The benefits of art in this setting are tangible. It encourages self-expression, reduces stress, and builds confidence. But perhaps more importantly, it creates space for connection. As students and members worked side by side, they weren’t just painting — they were listening, learning, and forming bonds. These interactions help students see the value of inclusive communities and the importance of supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Whitworth’s Community Building Day is designed to be more than a one-time event. It’s a starting point for deeper engagement, encouraging students to continue volunteering and advocating throughout their college years and beyond. For The Arc of Spokane, it’s an opportunity to welcome new faces into the Community Center and show how creativity and compassion can transform lives.
About The Arc of Spokane
The Arc of Spokane is a chapter of The Arc of Washington and The Arc of the United States and joins over 600 chapters across the country on the front lines to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families have the support and services they need to be fully engaged in their communities.
For questions, please contact The Arc of Spokane at 509-789-8326 or email info@arc-spokane.org.
A splash of color begins to bring the mural to life
A display of unbridled joy during arts and crafts.
A patriotic plate to match his American Flag shirt and hat
The finished mural, ready for art projects to be hung on the wall