Hundreds of Penn State students already have volunteered, with more expected to do so in the coming weeks, for an inaugural "State Service Day" at locations on campus, in State College and throughout Centre County on Saturday, Feb. 26.
Partners in the effort are: the Council of LionHearts, which includes various student organizations on campus; the Intrafraternity Council; the Panhellenic Council; and the borough of State College.
Student leaders have christened the event "State Service Day: May No Act of Ours Bring Shame," using a line from the University's Alma Mater.
A variety of service projects comprise the day. Those events are posted at http://volunteer.psu.edu online, and students may visit the site to register and participate on projects of their choice. Students also may register for State Service Day at tables located on the ground floor of the HUB-Robeson Center on campus in the days leading up to the event.
"State Service Day is a way for students to show their appreciation for the community and enjoy completing service with other Penn State students," said Sara Kizer, president of the Student United Way at Penn State. "Our members are very excited to host an event as part of the day."
During the fall semester, students who utilized http://volunteer.psu.edu/ completed more than 7,300 hours of community service in the State College area. In addition, thousands of additional hours of service were completed by organizations on the Council of LionHearts whose events were not listed on that site.
Volunteer options for students during State Service Day range from indoor interaction to light hands-on labor and even opportunities to work with animals.
For example, some members of the Student United Way plan a visit to play bingo with residents of Wynwood House, an over-55 community in Centre Hall, while a group from the Student Activities Office is leading an effort to assist with preparations for the Maple Harvest Festival at the Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. Another group will be visiting the Pennsylvania SPCA.
“The projects allow students to take an active role in the community around them, and meet and work with other Penn State students who share a passion for service,” said Meg Panza of Students Engaging Students, which will have members at Shaver’s Creek and the SPCA.
Organizers have arranged for dozens of sites for volunteers on State Day of Service. Details about the volunteer opportunities related to those sites may be found at volunteer.psu.edu online.
Organizations involved in the Council of LionHearts are: Alpha Phi Omega, BE House, Campus Girl Scouts, Circle K, Habitat for Humanity, Helping Across the Community, Rotaract Club, Student Red Cross Club, Student United Way, Students Engaging Students, STATERs and We Are Campaign.