Community Service Day: Saturday, October 15
Dig out your work clothes, gardening gloves, and generous spirit, it's time for Buffalo State's annual Community Service Day, Saturday, October 15. The event is sponsored by the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC).
From 8:30 a.m. to noon about 200 volunteers are needed to grade flower beds, plant trees, paint houses, pick up trash, serve meals, process donations, and even decorate for Halloween at a dozen sites scattered throughout Buffalo. Community partners include block clubs, beautification groups, and organizations that help the needy, such as the Buffalo City Mission.
“There is a huge variety of projects, and they all make an impact on their neighborhoods,” said Laura Hill Rao, coordinator of the VSLC. “We feel it’s important to build partnerships with organizations that are making positive contributions to the community.”
Buffalo State’s Grant Allocation Committee, Academic Affairs and Student Affairs offices, and M&T Bank are funding this year’s event. Two projects will use volunteers to pick up trash and plant flowers in preparation for the National Preservation Conference, October 19-22, which is expected to bring more than 2,000 visitors to Buffalo.
The VSLC organizes at least one community service day per semester to provide students with the chance to make connections and get involved in the larger community.
“We really see these one-day events as a way for students to try out volunteering in a safe and organized manner,” Rao said. “We hope that they will want to continue volunteering after seeing the value of their contribution to the community.”
Although the majority of volunteers are students, faculty and staff members also participate in Community Service Day and are welcome to do so this year as well.
At each site, representatives will provide an orientation and overview of what their organization does, what their missions is, and how the work the volunteers are doing relates to that mission.
“This helps students understand why they are there, and the value of the work they are performing that day,” Rao said.
Volunteers will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Campbell Student Union lobby and board one of five buses, depending upon the projects they choose. Lunch will be provided by the Student Life Office and many of the community partners that are donating food and drinks. All tools and work gloves also will be provided.
To participate, register by e-mail to vslc@buffalostate.edu, call (716) 878-5811, or stop by Cleveland Hall 306.