Last week marked the fourth annual UVolunteer week held by the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. This week focused on a push for students to serve the community and live up to the service council’s motto of “Be the Change.”
For last week’s events, the service council teamed up with several different organizations from around campus. Members of student government, the Multicultural Club, international student council and UV Mentors, as well as other programs, joined together in this effort. Each of these groups picked a day to help host a service project.
“It gets UVU organizations involved, working together on projects,” said Natalie McMaster, service council president. “A lot of students responded really well because we were able to represent different demographics and a lot of people were better reached.”
Most of these service projects focus on helping the community around the school. The service council works together with community partners and help to assess what these needs might be. This year, projects included assembling humanitarian kits for United Way, an Adopt-a-Grandparent evening, a field day at the Dan Petersen School for special needs children and an Adopt-a-Highway trash cleanup on Geneva Road.
Although the service council felt this event was a success, the turnout could have been greater. For most of these projects, about 30 to 40 students showed up to participate. Out of a school of over 30,000 students, this number does not represent a large portion of the student body.
The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center holds events like this in order to provide students with hands-on experience. Whether this experience be required for classes or is just done by students on their own time, they encourage students to participate and to go out and serve. Not only does service help others, but it leaves one feeling a sense of good work and accomplishment.
The best way to get involved in some of these service projects is to stop by the service council office located in LC206 and talk with any of the members.
“We have an awesome service council here and willing advisers that would love to help anyone who wanted to help out,” McMaster said.
Students can also go online to www.UVU.edu/volunteer to see a list of upcoming events, past projects and other information about getting involved with the service council.
McMaster hopes that her work with the service council this year has left behind an inspiration for other students to “Be the Change” and take a more active role in serving the community around them.
