SERVE Local has continued its program of providing local volunteer opportunities throughout the semester. These opportunities include helping to clean up the Lamoille River, working with the Vermont Food bank, and volunteering at the community park.

Any student can participate and transportation is usually provided.

Oct. 18 SERVE organized Elmore State Park Maintenance Day as one of its local activities to help the community. It was a rainy day but a few students decided to take the bus at 9:30 A.M. to stack wood at the park. One of these volunteers was Marina Turco, a WAM major and environmental science minor.

“Johnson is giving you something to do and its awesome helping out the community. I love the satisfaction of helping out,” says Turco.

She says she enjoys doing manual labor and volunteers whenever a SERVE local catches her interest. She treats each opportunity like an internship that could lead to a job. “You don’t know the connections you will be able to make while you’re doing it,” she said. “Maybe I could have gotten a job there through volunteering.”

She goes to the SERVE volunteer opportunities that are specifically interesting to her and that could benefit her through the connections she makes. She says that she wishes more would take advantage of the opportunities SERVE is giving students
Coordinator of Community Service Samantha Flint stresses the need for community involvement: “It’s important for everyone to be given the opportunity to become active citizens in their community and to see the impact that each of us can have by being mindful and involved.” She says that these opportunities always meet a need and have a great impact on the community.

SERVE work study student Erica Fuller is a frequent volunteer group leader. She encourages students to get involved due to the educational benefits and relationships that can be achieved. “SERVE Local is a great program that not only educates its participants about local issues but allows relationships to be built among students and between the college and the town of Johnson,”says Fuller.

Fuller notes that the program helps to connect Johnson’s students with the community while improving it. She says one of the most significant events she attended was the Glean with Vermont Food bank offered in September of this year. She gleaned squash at the Footebrooke Farm, which was then donated to the Vermont food bank. This was an important issue for her because of her passion for working with hunger issues.

In April she will be leading a Badger Alternative Break group to Washington D.C. based on providing access to affordable and sustainable food.

The last SERVE event in October was the community meal on Oct. 29.

Coming up in November are the Oxfam Hunger Banquet on Nov. 12, and the Thanksgiving Basket Sort-o-thon on Nov. 19.

The SERVE Office is located in the Stearns Student Center in Room 408. Its office hours are weekdays 8:00 A.M.- 4:30 P.M.