Volunteerism, service-learning, social activism, doing justice, servant leadership, urban ministry, civic engagement, community organizing, faith-based action/reflection, engaged learning, changing the world...?
 
Yes, the Kinny Program is all of the above! 

Kinney is community service at Rhodes.

We work with about 100 service programs and agencies in Memphis. Find out right now how to get started in community service by contacting our Kinney Coordinators in these areas of service:

• Children and Youth Services
• Faith-Based Services
• HIV/AIDS Services
• Hospitals and Healthcare
• Hunger and Homelessness
• Literacy and Education
• Multilingual/Multinational
• Peace, Justice, Environment
• Senior Services/Independent Living
• Women′s Services
• Special Projects

The Laurence F. Kinney Program

The Kinney Program is the Rhodes campus-wide effort to engage all students in service and social action in Memphis and the broader community. More than token or simplistic volunteerism, the Kinney Program helps students understand our community neighbors, reach across cultural, racial and economic barriers, and seek lasting solutions for a more compassionate and just world.

Beginning with the inspiration of Bible professor Dr. Laurence F. Kinney in the 1950s, Rhodes community service programs have grown to include 83% of all graduating students. For almost 50 years, Rhodes students have discovered the profound impact of serving in the community, as they learn to live their passions for social change and caring for neighbors in need.
 
In addition to special service events and one-time service plunges into Memphis, most students make an ongoing weekly commitment to service. With connections at about 100 service programs in Memphis, the Kinney Program recruits, supports and motivates students to match personal passions and interests with social needs in the community. Kinney also sponsors voters registration drives, educational events on social issues, service training and reflection opportunities, social activism and advocacy, and works with faculty to develop service-learning courses and community-based research projects.

While sustaining a wide variety of established service sites, the Kinney Program also supports students in developing new strategies and initiatives to address unmet needs in the community.

We hope that all students who come to Rhodes will be part of the Kinney Program by serving in the Memphis community. Please contact the Kinney Coordinators or the Chaplain and Community Service staff to learn about service opportunities and how to get started. You can start browsing some ideas on our Kinney Service Sites page. 

Kinney Program and Community Service Office

Megan Colnar and Daniel Sturtevant, Kinney Moderators
Tiffany Merritt, Community Service Coordinator
Walt Tennyson, Rhodes Chaplain