Students to participate in Make a Difference Day
Bailey McBride
Issue date: 10/17/08 Section: News
Students will have an opportunity to engage in volunteer projects across Northwest Arkansas Saturday at the UA's biggest ever Make a Difference Day.
"There are a lot of students on campus that would volunteer if they just knew how to," said Matt McNelley, a senior biology major and president of the Volunteer Action Committee. "This is the biggest volunteer event at the university."
The day of service projects will begin with a breakfast and rally for more than 500 volunteers and 40 leaders in the Arkansas Union 9 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers then will head out to their respective projects, more than 35 in all. Depending on the project, transportation is provided either by the university or by individual project leaders.
Projects have volunteer teams ranging from three to around 60 people.
Volunteers will do different things at each site, from lawn work for the elderly, to building paths and plant boxes to sweeping the parking deck at the Fayetteville Public Library. These projects are often things that fall by the wayside because of lack of funding and volunteers throughout the year.
"It's our goal to educate students about service," said Angela Oxford, a VAC student development specialist. "We're hoping to engage students more than ever - we want students to volunteer not just this one day, but all year."
The VAC has a 16-member board and an intern, featuring more executives than ever before. McNelley attributes the large increase in volunteers partly to the work of the new executives.
This year provides even more opportunities for volunteers, with two Friday projects sponsored by the Associated Student Government. Volunteers will have the opportunity to help with voter education at Leverett Elementary School Friday afternoon.
"There are a lot of groups getting involved - ASG, [Residents' Interhall Congress], sororities, people coming back from last year and athletes," McNelley said. "There's basically more of everything."
"There are a lot of students on campus that would volunteer if they just knew how to," said Matt McNelley, a senior biology major and president of the Volunteer Action Committee. "This is the biggest volunteer event at the university."
The day of service projects will begin with a breakfast and rally for more than 500 volunteers and 40 leaders in the Arkansas Union 9 a.m. Saturday. Volunteers then will head out to their respective projects, more than 35 in all. Depending on the project, transportation is provided either by the university or by individual project leaders.
Projects have volunteer teams ranging from three to around 60 people.
Volunteers will do different things at each site, from lawn work for the elderly, to building paths and plant boxes to sweeping the parking deck at the Fayetteville Public Library. These projects are often things that fall by the wayside because of lack of funding and volunteers throughout the year.
"It's our goal to educate students about service," said Angela Oxford, a VAC student development specialist. "We're hoping to engage students more than ever - we want students to volunteer not just this one day, but all year."
The VAC has a 16-member board and an intern, featuring more executives than ever before. McNelley attributes the large increase in volunteers partly to the work of the new executives.
This year provides even more opportunities for volunteers, with two Friday projects sponsored by the Associated Student Government. Volunteers will have the opportunity to help with voter education at Leverett Elementary School Friday afternoon.
"There are a lot of groups getting involved - ASG, [Residents' Interhall Congress], sororities, people coming back from last year and athletes," McNelley said. "There's basically more of everything."
Be the first to comment on this story