Service agencies and students populated the Quad at the annual Community Service Fair yesterday afternoon. The fair gave students the opportunity to learn more about different service projects and sites at Saint Louis University and throughout the St. Louis community.
More than 50 local agencies attended the fair and shared their volunteer and service information. The fair was a good chance for students to pick and choose service projects or sites that suit their interests and time commitments. Agencies at the fair had services available to students that ranged from cooking and gardening, to elderly and childcare, to tutoring and mentoring.
“The fair was an overwhelming success, providing a good avenue to let students know what is going on in the community,” said Mary-Jones King, Jumpstart site manager. Many students were interested in the Jumpstart and America Reads programs as well as the mentoring program, Bigs and Littles. SLU Campus Kitchen also received a great number of students that were interested in volunteering their time to help those in need.
The fair went well. A number of students stopped by inquiring about different volunteer oppurities with the United Way, said Veronica Griffith, community investment assistant at the United Way Volunteer Center.
There were a number of representatives from fraternities and other student organizations that
stopped by the Salvation Army table to learn more about volunteering with their agency. The Salvation Army partakes in a number of holiday programs and service such as Tree of Lights, Toy Lift, Toy Town and gift-wrapping.
SLU Make A Difference Day signups kicked off at the fair. The fifth annul Make A Difference Day will be Saturday, Oct. 26. The goal for this year’s National Day of Doing Good is “2002 volunteers in 2002.” Carol Buck, widow of the late Jack Buck, will be this year’s keynote speaker. The event will be co-sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega and KMOX radio.
In effort to boost attendance and get as many students, faculty and staff volunteers as possible there will be challenges between the residence halls as well as academic departments. “The challenge helps to build community and school spirit,” said Abi Ottenberg, Center for Leadership and Community Service intern. “It’s a good-hearted competition.”
“By Student Activities Board promoting the fair with Homecoming Week, along with the Rock the Quad and Duck Derby (fundraising event), it really made the fair more successful,” said Bernie Schaffer, director of the Center for Leadership and Community Service. “Having the MADD kickoff and a blood drive in conjunction with the fair gave everybody the opportunity to get excited about service.”
The blood drive had wonderful support from the students, said Christine Culligan, a donor recruitment representative. “It was a great idea to connect the blood drive to the community service fair and Make a Difference Day kickoff. “The Red Cross estimates that there will be over 70 donations made today. Culligan added that students who were unable to donate blood today could make a donation on Oct. 2.
First time donor Brian Strassburger decided to donate blood today “because it is a little thing that I can do to make a difference. The little blood I give goes to help three different people.”
“SLU is becoming more and more interested in community service,” said Genevieve Gladu, Associate Vice President of Service in APO. She added that, “The people who showed up to the community service fair were excited to hear about and become involved in the different projects or sites.”
