University of Idaho students will have an opportunity to put their volunteer skills to work Saturday at Make a Difference Day.
“Make a Difference Day is an opportunity for about 500 students to serve together in the Moscow-Pullman Palouse community, and is just a cool way for students to get connected with each other and to further get connected with the community through volunteering and service,” said Ayo Kayode-Popoola, lead local service coordinator for the ASUI Center for Volunteerism and Social Action.
Days of Service Coordinator Jessica Garcia said there are 24 groups signed up on campus to participate Saturday.
“Students have been signing up for many years, they have been growing with the program,” Garcia said. “I think it’s a pretty big impact on the people serving and also the people getting helped.”
Kayode-Popoola said that while many students register as groups — with their living groups, fraternities, sororities, or friend groups — individuals and community organizations often register as well.
“There’s a wide range of opportunities,” she said.
The volunteer center works with over 80 different community partners and local-nonprofits, in the area, Kayode-Popoola said. The service students provide ranges depending on which organization they end up serving, she said.
“We have a team volunteering with the Moscow Public Library, a team volunteering with Friends of the Clearwater, one volunteering with the Palouse Discovery Science center,” Kayode-Popoola said. “It could be anything from outside work to indoor work, it depends on the mission of your organization and what they need help with specifically on that day.”
Students who were not able to register for Make a Difference Day can still participate in other service days throughout the year.
“Here at the Volunteer Center we have more activities they can sign up for,” Garcia said. “Through VandalSync, we pair communities up with individuals who are looking to serve, and they can look up more opportunities.”
MLK Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 20 will be the next service day for students to participate in.
And for students who might have been hesitant to participate in the event, Kayode-Popoola said there are many reasons to participate that people might not be aware of.
“There are so many other benefits, like making friends, learning new things, helping with stress — just so many little benefits I could talk about,” she said.
Garcia said the event is a great opportunity for students to not only volunteer through their community, but also meet and get to know different community partners and different groups they were previously unfamiliar with.
“For me personally, volunteering just means being invested and giving back to the community,” Kayode-Popoola said. “As college students, it is really easy for us to get bogged down in our own world, and it is hard to see the bigger picture. Volunteering is a way to get connected to others and see the bigger issues that are faced in our community and in the world, and do our part as individuals in working toward a solution and giving back and helping.”
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @m_rothenberg