Volunteer Services and Community Involvement: October 2007

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Make a Difference Day 2007

Make a Difference Day 2oo7!!

On Saturday, October 27th UMD students, staff and faculty participated in the third annual Make a Difference Day service event coordinated by our university. Make a Difference Day is our countries largest national day of service and was created by USA Weekend Magazine.
Over 3 million people across America participated in the charity event, held on the fourth Saturday of October. Of those 3 million, over 70 volunteers from the University of Michigan-Dearborn came out on a rainy Saturday to lend a helping hand.

This year the University of Michigan-Dearborn partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to register volunteers for the event. Volunteer efforts were divided between the Greening of Detroit tree planting project and Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights.

The Greening of Detroit exists to reforest neighborhoods and parks in the city of Detroit, while Vista Maria was established to assist girls age 11 to 17 with mental health issues, problems with substance abuse and trauma recovery.

-information reprinted with permission from the UM-Dearborn Michigan Journal-

2nd Annual Gandhi Day of Service

On Saturday, October 6th 2007 over 50 volunteers from UM-Dearborn, the Michigan Health Academy (a local Charter High School), and a number of individuals who just wanted to help out came to together for the 2nd Annual Gandhi Day of Service.

The volunteers helped community agencies throughout the Metro Detroit Area, agencies included The Greening of Detroit, World Medical Relief, Arts & Scraps, and Gleaners Community Food Bank. If we use the calculations provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics the estimated value of service that volunteers poured BACK into the community on just this ONE Saturday was $3,334.24. The State of Michigan could use many more volunteers like the service oriented individuals that showed up to the UM-Dearborn campus bright and early eager to lend a helping hand.

Here are some thoughts from the individuals that took time out of their busy schedules to volunteer:

"It was a very humbling and enlightening experience, I would recommend it to everyone."

Andrew Kunys
UM-Dearborn, Senior majoring in Biochemistry

"I thought it would be a good way to help out in the community. I think it is important for everyone to donate their time."

Cara Niemann
UM-Dearborn, Freshman majoring in Elementary Education

The vision and goal of this annual event is to inspire and empower people around the world through civic engagement and community service and by unifying people through the common goal of serving communities in need. Volunteers are united through Gandhi’s common values of equality, tolerance and nonviolence.

Welcome

Hello and Welcome to the University of Michigan-Dearborn!! I hope you take some time out of your busy semester schedule to participate in some of the fantastic volunteer and service opportunities coordinated by the university.

The student driven Volunteer Dearborn project and the Volunteer Services and Community Involvement program housed within the Office of Student Activities help UM-Dearborn students, faculty, and staff volunteer thousands of hours of their time to help in the surrounding community. Through service and volunteer work you will:

Increase your understanding of the issues underlying the prevalent social problems in the Metro Detroit Area.
Strengthen your sense of social responsibility.
Recognize opportunities to make responsible, reflective decisions about yourself and the community around you.
Engage in activities that address human and community needs.
Obtain a deeper understanding of the historical, sociological, cultural, economic, and political contexts of the issues being addressed.
Examine and analyze a community issue in the context of systemic inequities.
Enter, participate in, and exit a community in ways that do not reinforce systemic injustice.
Demonstrate reciprocity and responsiveness in service work with community.

So if you are looking for ways to better serve your community and make an impact in the lives of those in need we can help you find the right project or program. You can volunteer with an existing program at a non-profit agency that interests you, participate in special one-time community service projects, coordinate one of our existing programs as a project director or create your own program.