CONNOR HOFFMAN
Staff Writer
The Office of Volunteer and Community Service will be holding its 12th annual Community Service Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 23 in the Williams Center Multi-Purpose room from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Joyce Harvard Smith, the coordinator of Volunteer and Community Services, is in charge of putting together the Community Service Fair.
“What I do is I invite representatives from a variety of community service agencies, and what they do is they showcase their agency literature and distribute that and talk with students about various volunteer opportunities,” said Smith. “One of the primary purposes is for students to get to know what’s in the community — what’s available to them.”
Smith also mentioned how this fair is planned with the help of the Volunteer Service Advisory Committee on campus that includes professors, students and community members.
Students can expect to see a wide variety of organizations at this year’s fair. Some of the organizations include The American Red Cross, The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, The Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua, The Chautauqua Nursing and Rehab Center, The Salvation Army, The Youngerman Center for Communication Disorders, Make-A-Wish Western NY and many other organizations. Smith said she contacted approximately 40 different organizations for this year’s fair.
This year’s fair will feature some new additions as well. The WNY Developmental Disabilities Service Organization, the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System, Child Advocacy Program and WYNB are some organizations debuting this year
Smith encourages students to volunteer and not to be worried if they think it’s time consuming. She says, “it’s so important to be able to make a difference in giving back.”
Shannon Schwarberg, the president of the Social Work Club, has committed much of her time to helping the community with various service projects. She mentioned she started volunteering because she has always had a heart for helping people. She feels volunteering has taught her many great life skills.
“Volunteering has taught me how to have compassion for people no matter where they’re at in life. Even on some of my worst days, helping them is enough to turn it around,” said Schwarberg.
Allison Stiglmeier, the vice president of the Social Work Club, also feels as strongly about volunteering as Schwarberg does.
“Once I started volunteering, I gained more friendships, relationships and connections. With all these connections I made, more and more doors were opened for me. I was able to continue to expand myself, my interests and expand what I thought I was capable of doing,” said Stiglmeier.
Stiglmeier has volunteered in projects such as the Chautauqua Striders, Boys and Girls Club and Compeer Chautauqua.
“I would tell someone that wants to volunteer but is worried about the commitment to not be worried. If the person has a passion for what they are volunteering for, it will become something they look forward to participating in,” commented Stiglmeier.
Some of the community service events this semester that students can get involved in include the Beach Sweep, Rockin’ the Commons, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Days of Service, Operation Breakfast Rescue and Fall Sweep.
One thing Smith is proud of is how well attended and received the community service fair is. She mentioned that roughly 250-270 students went to the fair last year and how the feedback is usually 95-98 percent positive.
Students who are interested in volunteering should contact Smith at joyce.smith@fredonia.edu, call 716-673-3690 or visit her in her office in the Williams Center.