Last year, almost 100 University of Oregon student volunteers branched out into the larger Eugene community to spruce up parks and engage with local families in honor of the nationally recognized Make a Difference Day.
This year, the UO’s Holden Leadership Center — which has hosted the volunteer effort at the UO since 2009 — is hoping to send even more students out into the community. The day of service is Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Registration is required online and will be available through Thursday, Oct. 22. While the volunteer projects have a total capacity of 120 people, you’ll have your pick of the projects if you get to the corner of 15th Avenue and University Street (the volunteer check-in site) early on Saturday morning.
In total, there will six projects for volunteers to choose from: Join forces with the Walama Restoration Project in Alton Baker Park, remove invasive plants and replant native species in Hendricks Park with the Eugene Park Stewards, decorate pumpkins with developmentally disabled children and their families through the Arc of Lane County Families Connected, help out FOOD for Lane County in their grassroots garden and youth farm, or help winterize the UO’s Schoolhouse Garden at Edison Elementary School.
“There are some really amazing organizations in Eugene-Springfield doing incredible work within our community,” said Corin Bauman, the Holden Center’s assistant director for community engagement. “We work with these organizations to identify projects for groups of volunteers to engage with on these large days of service.”
Depending on the community organization, student volunteers will plug into long-term, ongoing projects or take part in a simple day-long effort. Make a Difference Day is not only a great opportunity to complete service hours required for classes or other commitments, but to spend a little time giving back to the community.
“National days of service are an opportunity for the UO community to participate in larger movements of engagement, service and change,” Bauman said. “These days allow us to frame our local work within the context of the national and global efforts, and highlight the multiple ways for us to engage and take action.”
For information about Make a Difference Day, email serve@uoregon.edu.
— By Nathaniel Brown, Public Affairs Communications