Volunteerism and initiative headlines the 16th annual Project Serve event
On Saturday, Sept. 13, volunteers across the city took part in an enormous effort to help shape Guelph and it’s community. Through the Project Serve program, volunteers are given a chance to connect with their community in an effective and meaningful way. Offering multiple community placements ranging from the Guelph Humane Society to the YMCA, Project Serve plants its roots deep within the Guelph community.
“Project Serve Guelph is built on the principle of reciprocity with community partners. Students learn about local involvement opportunities, and are encouraged to continue to engage in the community in the years to come,” said Kelsey Taylor, Director of Student Volunteer Connections. “At the same time, local organizations receive genuine assistance and the opportunity to connect with the campus community and recruit potential volunteers.”
With over 300 Guelph students volunteering, it is no wonder that Project Serve manages to be a tremendous success every year. Volunteers with all years of experience were encouraged to participate, and the amount of work and effort put in by the community to help one another shows their level of commitment. Over the years, Project Serve has established a heavy presence on campus and has made itself accessible to students campus-wide. “This event embodies the university’s spirit of cultivating long-standing, enriching relationships with community agencies and not-for-profit organizations in Guelph,” said Taylor.
When asked about how getting involved with Project Serve, Taylor Avery, a first-year student volunteer, said, “Project Serve was something I was made aware of throughout orientation week. It was alluded to in nearly every meeting I attended, and was also mentioned to me by several of the volunteers.” Placed in the Right Foot Forward program, Avery, alongside other volunteers, distributed information door-to-door, addressing ways to become meaningful contributors to the community.
“I would absolutely recommend this experience to other students,” said Avery. “It’s great to know that, as an individual, you’re participating in something that positively reflects students and the University of Guelph to the public.”
The accessibility of Project Serve helped establish the program as an essential and stable presence on campus. By building a relationship between students and the Guelph community, Project Serve accomplishes the merging of the energy of university students with the knowledge and resources of established local programs.
Malisa Thay, a first-year student, urges other students to become active in volunteering. “It was definitely good to interact with a student neighbourhood and provide them with useful information they might not know,” Thay said. “As an international student, it was nice to see what off-campus living is like here in Canada, and I think the support system U of G has for off-campus students is really wonderful!”
Project Serve allows for students on campus to become integrated and involved in the Guelph community. The program also provides local agencies and organizations with a shining example of how dedicated and hard-working students can become a meaningful part of the community. Notions of initiative, volunteerism, and genuine desire to help others are essential to all those who come to love and experience the wonderful City of Guelph.