Whatever your
interests may be in community service, the Geraldine Doyle
Riordan Center for Volunteerism and Service-Learning is here to help you
get connected.
Interested
in volunteering but don't know how to begin, here are your
options:
Individual
Placements
Some students
choose to work individually with a community organization.
The Director of the Geraldine Doyle Riordan Center for Volunteerism and Service-Learning helps these students define goals and assess areas
of interest by filling out a student volunteer application.
Following this initial assessment, service options are explored,
and a volunteer placement is chosen which matches the student's
needs and interests, and capitalizes on individual strengths
and talents. Transportation
to and from the placement site is available to student volunteers.
There are an unlimited
number of service
opportunities available to CSE students. Volunteers have
given their time to everything from tutoring programs and
hospitals to museums and soup kitchens. Once you find an organization
that interests you, contact the Center for Volunteerism and Service-Learning
to facilitate getting connected.
Campus Events
Working in a group
with other students can provide a forum for meeting people
who share your commitment to certain issues. The Center for
Volunteerism and Service-Learning, in conjunction with the Students
Take Action Committee (STAC), the student run volunteer
organization, organizes many group community service programs
and events which are often held on campus and are open to
all members of the CSE community. A student serves as the
chairperson of each event, many of which are initiated by
students and co-sponsored with other campus organizations.
These popular programs include:
Blood Drives
Walk-A-Thons
Food and Clothing
Drives
Toy Collections
Charity Fundraisers
Service
Learning Courses
Think your busy
course load doesn't leave you any time for volunteering? Think
again! Try exploring independent internships and research
projects with support from the for Volunteerism and Service-Learning
and academic departments. You can also take a class that includes
volunteer work as a component and earn credit while providing
direct service to a worthy community organization. These classes
integrate community service with academic learning so you
are able to apply what you are learning in class to real life
situations. Click
here to learn more.
Spring Break
Service Trip
Looking
for something a little more fulfilling than the Florida beach?
We have the perfect Spring Break experience for you! Each
March, a group of students, accompanied by two staff members,
travel to rural or urban areas to engage in an intense week
of service and community living. Students work in soup kitchens
and food banks, renovate housing and help care for children
and the elderly all while learning about some of society's
most complex issues such as homelessness, poverty, racism
and the impact of diseases such as AIDS/HIV. By engaging in
true activism, service trip participants are beaming with
pride over the work they've accomplished and cherishing the
lessons they learned and people they've met long after their
peers' tans begin to fade. Click
here to learn more.
Guidelines
for Volunteers
Finding the
Right Match Just
because an organization does good work doesn't make it a perfect
fit for you. We all have different reason for volunteering.
It's important for you to consider your needs and expectations
and take the time to find an organization that does the work
you most want to do as a volunteer.
Asking yourself
the following questions may help you narrow down your search
and find a volunteer opportunity that's right for you.
What causes
or issues matter most to me?
Are their particular
people, age groups or communities I would like to work with?
What do I hope
to gain from this experience?
What do I have
to offer?
Do I want to
uses skills I already have or do something completely new?
Do I want to
work directly with people or do administrative or research
work?
Do I want to
work alone, with friends or my family?
What don't
I want to do as a volunteer?
How much time
to I realistically have to dedicate to this?
Contacting
A Community Organization If you
decide to contact an organization directly here are few things
to ask about:
Agency's history
and mission
Overview of
services provided and clientele served
Hours and days
of operation
Descriptions
of volunteer job opportunities available
Time or length
of service commitment required
Training requirements
Ask the agency
to send you any written materials that describe their programs,
services and volunteer opportunities. This will allow you
to compare a variety of organizations at your leisure. In
most cases, you can also arrange a tour to see the facilities
and talk to paid staff and other volunteers. Also, don't forget
to visit their website - most of the large nonprofit organizations
as well as many of the small local programs have websites.
Be aware that
the organization may ask for references and require an interview
to determine the appropriateness of a potential volunteer.
If
you are ever unsure about an agency or have questions, the
director of Volunteer Services is available to meet with you
individually to discuss your concerns.
Once You Decide
to Commit
When you begin volunteering, remember that people will be
counting on you to follow through. Your responsibilities will
include:
Taking orders
and doing what the organization needs you to do (within
reason)
Arriving on
time and staying for the entire length of your shift unless
you've made prior arrangement with the agency
Respecting
the organization and its clients' confidentiality
Participating
in evaluations and seeking and offering honest feedback
Making your
objectives clear to the people you are working with
Addressing
problems that may arise before that get out of control or
determining when a situation no longer meets your objectives,
interests or schedule.
Reasons
to Volunteer
Interested
in volunteering but don't know how to begin, here are your
options:
Service
Learning Courses
Looking
for something a little more fulfilling than the Florida beach?
We have the perfect Spring Break experience for you! Each
March, a group of students, accompanied by two staff members,
travel to rural or urban areas to engage in an intense week
of service and community living. Students work in soup kitchens
and food banks, renovate housing and help care for children
and the elderly all while learning about some of society's
most complex issues such as homelessness, poverty, racism
and the impact of diseases such as AIDS/HIV. By engaging in
true activism, service trip participants are beaming with
pride over the work they've accomplished and cherishing the
lessons they learned and people they've met long after their
peers' tans begin to fade. 
Just
because an organization does good work doesn't make it a perfect
fit for you. We all have different reason for volunteering.
It's important for you to consider your needs and expectations
If
you are ever unsure about an agency or have questions, the
director of Volunteer Services is available to meet with you
individually to discuss your concerns.
