Geneseo’s annual volunteer fair
This past Wednesday, Sept. 6, the Office of Student Volunteerism and Community Engagement put together a spectacular volunteer fair. The fair took place in the Macvittie College Union Ballroom from 1-4 p.m. There were over 25 organizations present at the fair, each with a table of their own showcasing their values.
The opportunities included educational services, aging services, health services, sustainability, social justice, food distribution, international service, arts and culture, and more.
The first row of tables included multiple educational service volunteer opportunities such as RKids Afterschool Tutoring and Enrichment. The program seeks volunteers to help at the interfaith center on Tuesdays and Thursdays after the elementary schools are done for the day; they offer a variety of fun, educational activities for kids. The opportunity is open to all majors, not just education.
Along with RKids, there were multiple other opportunities to volunteer in educational services. The learning center was present alongside the GOLD leader and mentor staff, as well as Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-ed service fraternity dedicated to the pillars of leadership, friendship, and service.
For those looking for something more hands-on, the volunteer fair definitely was not lacking. The Friends of the Wadsworth Library are hosting a haunted house this coming Oct. They are looking for a variety of volunteers and spreading the word about the spooky event.
Next to the library’s table was Tree Creations in Geneseo. Not only were they looking for volunteers, but they had an opening for an internship through Geneseo. The internship is tailored to each student, so the exact requirements and credit allocation will vary.
Another opportunity came from the Teresa House table. For those unfamiliar, their mission is to “offer a comfort care ministry to residents who are nearing the end of a terminal illness, and to their families, by providing a home environment of love, dignity and support.” Volunteering in the house has an extremely wide range of possibilities: preparing small meals and answering phone calls, giving medication to residents, and simply keeping them company. Their website is easily accessible via teresahouse.org.
Volunteering often has a misconstrued reputation of being too time consuming, but volunteering can also be something quick and easy like the Orchard Street cleanup. It is common campus knowledge that Orchard Street and streets adjacent gather significant amounts of trash over time. Besides the fact that littering is illegal and damaging to the environment, it makes our campus look, quite literally, trashy. The cleanups are very quick, sometimes less than an hour, and the more volunteers the shorter they will be!
If you are someone looking for something new to do in your free time, these opportunities are perfect! And if you are someone who is in an organization with mandatory service hours these groups have amazing opportunities. There is something for everyone, no matter the interest or time commitment.