Volunteer fair will feature record number of groups
September 3, 2013
By Anne Halliwell
Come for the ice cream, stay for the volunteer opportunities.
The Center for Community Outreach (CCO) will be hosting its annual Volunteer Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 4 in the Student Center Grand Ballroom.
Students can stop by for information on how to get involved with service organizations on and off campus, as well as for free ice cream.
“It’s important for students to realize what’s available and what’s happening in Lexington,” said Christine Leistner, Graduate Assistant and Adviser of CCO.
The fair will represent a record number of community organizations, as well as UK-based student groups.
“In the beginning of the year, there’s more time to think about this stuff … to choose a community to be part of,” Leistner said.
Leistner, who organized the event this year, felt it was important to offer students the chance to learn about a broad spectrum of organizations.
She estimates the grand total of student groups to be around 15, and community groups to be between 40 and 50.
CCO houses student service programs such as Young at Heart, which gives students a chance to interact with senior citizens in local nursing homes and senior centers, and PAWS, a local animal rights organization.
DanceBlue Overall Chair Claci Ayers encourages any and all students to come and make a difference in the Lexington area.
“It’s great to have one central location where students can see all of the opportunities to become involved with the school and community,” Ayers said.
DanceBlue contributes to the Golden Matrix Fund, which supports cancer research and social support.
Ayers encourages “anyone and everyone who is connected to that cause or wants to raise money for that cause” to come out and learn more about DanceBlue’s events, such as their annual no-sleeping, no-sitting dance marathon.
Students can find out more about CCO organizations at http://getinvolved.uky.edu/cco. Leistner also suggests that students look for volunteer ideas at uky.volunteermatch.org, a website that allows students to search for service groups that need volunteers in the Lexington area.