AMANDA DEDIE
Special to The Leader
Want to get out of the classroom? How about give back to the community? What about getting some great resume material while helping others at the same time?
The 11th annual Community Service Fair is being held on Friday, Sept. 26, in the Williams Center Multi-purpose Room from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The office of Volunteer and Community Services holds this free event to give students the opportunity to meet with local service agencies and to learn about prospective volunteer opportunities.
Joyce Harvard Smith, Coordinator of Volunteer and Community Services, gives a few reasons as her inspiration behind the creation of this event. She explained that it provides students with volunteer and community service opportunities, gets students out of the classroom and into the community and gives students the chance to give back and make a difference.
Jacqueline Lathron, a sophomore majoring in public relations and the intern with VCS, explains why volunteering and community service is important, not only to those being helped, but to those giving the helping hand.
Lathron explained that volunteering gives everyone a chance to give back to the community, and looks great on a resume and during job searches — it’s a very competitive market, and volunteer experience could put someone’s eligibility over the top. She also said that it helps improve communication skills by working with others, is a new experience, which is part of what college is all about, and that volunteers learn more about others, and see that there is more out there beyond their own lives.
Some of the attending service agencies include: the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, the Boys and Girls Club of NCC, Camp Gross, the Campus and Community Children’s Center, Dunkirk Fredonia Meals on Wheels, The Gleaning Project, Junior Achievement of Western New York, Lake Shore Humane Society, Rural Ministry (The Friendly Kitchen/Garment Gallery), Saint Columban’s on the Lake Retirement Home, the Salvation Army, WCA and many more.
Some of the on-campus volunteer opportunities available throughout the school year include: Move-In Day, Safe Halloween, Buffalo News Kids Day, Rockin’ the Commons and Rock Out for Cancer, as well as some fundraising options such as the March of Dimes and Relay for Life events. However, there are countless chances to volunteer off campus as well, which can be learned about through the Community Service Fair.
William Kay, a senior majoring in Business Marketing Management, has been volunteering for his four years at Fredonia. He is also a member of Delta Chi, a fraternity that, last year, committed 800-900 hours to volunteering on campus and around the town.
“After seeing how we impacted [the community] positively, and parents were all very happy to see us … every time, it’s been a positive interaction with the people in the community, so I’d say that that’s what keeps me doing it,” Kay said.
Kay also said that volunteering has a personal gain, as well.
“I’ve learned to lead a committee and organize events, not just with students but with adults. It’s kind of cool, setting stuff up and watching it come to fruition. I couldn’t imagine anyone volunteering and not walking out walking out of there with a smile on their face and not feeling like they had given back in some sort of way. It nice to actually do something positive for this community,” she said.
Fredonia students, student groups and organizations, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend this event to learn about and engage in various volunteer experiences available throughout the Fredonia community.
Last year, there were over 35 agencies at the fair. Over 250 students attended.
To learn more about volunteering and the Community Service Fair, visit http://www.fredonia.edu/campuslife/volunteer, the Volunteer and Community Services FSU4U page or stop by and visit Joyce Harvard Smith in S-227 in the Williams Center. You can also call her at (716) 673-3960, or email her at smithjh@fredonia.edu.