St. Ambrose University celebrated its annual "BEEcoming Ambrosian Day" Friday to welcome in the incoming class — followed by a morning of community service for 21 local organizations.

Following an on-campus prayer and sendoff, Ambrose's 425 first-year students dispersed to service sites across the Quad-Cities. Here, students connected with area non-profits and their new classmates.

Service activities ranged from restocking the Vine Ministry food pantry at the J.B. Young Opportunity Center to weed-pulling at Abundant Life Ranchers (Juan Diez Rancheros).

“Our BeeComing Ambrosian Day invites our newest members of the Ambrose community to engage with our larger Quad Cities community,” Ambrose President Amy Novak said in a news release. “From the beginning, St. Ambrose University has embraced a commitment to collaborating with our community to make it stronger. This day represents the practice of a core value that aligns education with community impact ensuring that our learning is always bigger than our own individual pursuit.”

This year, participating organizations included: