By Kimberly Dunbar

It was 8 p.m. on a Saturday, a time when most 22-year-old college students are getting ready for a night out. But not Jeffrey Reppucci ~ he was helping put the finishing touches on the 12th and final site of the Working for Worcester community action day, which was held in the spring.

Earlier, Holy Cross student Reppucci and 540 of his newest friends ~ fellow Worcester-area college students and community members ~ spent the day making $60,000 worth of renovations to 12 local sites. The groups did everything from planting gardens and improving infrastructures to constructing playgrounds, sports fields, a rec center, a food pantry and even a ballet studio.

“We wanted to spread the love to a bunch of projects and make a positive impact in as many places as possible,” Reppucci explained.

The idea for Working for Worcester stemmed from an experience Reppucci had while studying abroad during the summer of 2011. Walking around the rural agrarian areas of Russia, Reppucci noticed the vast contrast from nearby metropolis Moscow.

“I was very affected by the experience,” he said. “There was such a lack of programs and sports in these villages. I saw firsthand the level of alcoholism among both adults and children.”

This was a strange sight for Reppucci, a member of the Crusaders’ hockey team, as he’s always been surrounded by sports. Inspired by his college’s mission of “men and women for others,” Reppucci took action.

“As a hockey player, wellness is something I believe in,” he said. “Practical training and wellness through sports can help empower people to make healthy choices and help build community.”

Reppucci started the nonprofit organization, Students Helping Children Across Borders (SHCAB) ,with the purpose of providing recreational and educational opportunities to underprivileged children around the world. In May 2012, Reppucci traveled to Suzdal, Russia, for his first project. “We built a basketball court, a soccer field and a volleyball court,” he said. “I brought alcohol education information and sports equipment like jerseys, balls and whistles. It was a way to nip alcoholism in the bud and give children healthy alternatives and recreational outlets.”

When he returned home, Reppucci set his sights on Worcester, where he knew there was a need also. “I realized that after two years in Worcester, I had only been on the Holy Cross campus, Kelly Square and Shrewsbury Street for dinner with my parents,” he said. “We wanted a project that would give ourselves and others a chance to get off campus and to areas of the city we never really noticed.”

After months of planning, fundraising and networking across the Worcester colleges, Reppucci and teammate-turned-business-partner Derek Kump assembled a core leadership team to help coordinate the event.

“We had a fantastic response from college students,” said Reppucci. “Many have been complimentary of the size and scope of this community movement … We had a nice mix of students and residents come out to help. It was a direct way for them to engage with each other.”

Reppucci, an incoming senior, hopes Working for Worcester will continue after he graduates. “I don’t see this as an exclusive SHCAB project or a Holy Cross project,” he said. “It’s a community project. It’s about uniting local resources for one mission ~ wellness.”

Reppucci, who was named the Massachusetts representative for the Truman Scholarship and is currently interning for the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines in Manila, will spend the month of August in Argentina and Haiti building soccer fields with SHCAB.

“I always thought hockey was what I’d do after college,” said Reppucci. “But I’ve discovered a passion for community building.”

For more information, visit shcab.org.