Project Serve prepares to help the Guelph community
On Sept. 16, 2017, U of G students and community members will come together to provide over 1,000 hours of community service in a single afternoon. Project Serve is an annual initiative where students offer up an afternoon of their time to serve the Guelph community.
In an interview with The Ontarion, Galen Fick, coordinator of local engagement at the University of Guelph, stated that, “Project Serve was established here at the University 20 years ago, and every year we see nearly 400 students becoming involved with 20 or 30 community partners.”
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Project Serve is a collaborative effort between our students and the community around us. Volunteers contribute to the flourishing of community efforts, and on the day of the event, members involved often see those efforts realized. Fick mentioned that with extra hands and able bodies working toward the same goals, some goals are achieved in record-breaking time, allowing for many agencies to allocate resources and time into more pressing issues.
In return for their hard work, volunteers are also rewarded. Fick explained that, “most volunteers benefit just as much as the partners involved. Some students get hired, or receive valuable hands-on experience.”
Over the years, Project Serve has also been a tool to help first-year students make the transition to university life. “40 to 50 per cent of the volunteers involved are first-year students, so it’s an awesome way for them to break out of their bubbles and connect with agencies aligned with their own personal interests,” Fick stated.
Ultimately, Project Serve acts as a liaison between the students and the community, connecting students to partners in an effort to provide mutually beneficial experiences.
According to Fick, students who participated last year said that their primary motivation to return was to give back to the community. He continued that their experiences had been so positive that they wanted to continue making an impact.
Fick told The Ontarion that some of the big names involved with Project Serve this year include:
- The Guelph Food Bank
- The Humane Society
- The Canadian Cancer Society
Photo provided by Galen Fick.