Community Service During COVID-19
Saint Ursula has always been a service-oriented community with our plethora of organizations and clubs devoted to helping others. However, this school year, it has been more challenging to get involved due to COVID-19 restrictions. Here is a list of creative and safe ways for SUA students to volunteer during this global pandemic:
Big Surprises Service Events: I recently assisted at the Habitat for Humanity Rock the Block event on October 10th. Other volunteers and I painted garden boxes, built picnic tables, and helped clean the outdoor patio at Oyler School. It was a great way to spend my Saturday afternoon, especially because we could see our hard work transform the patio into a nice hangout space for the Oyler students. These one-time events are a perfect way for busy students to engage in service because they are not a long-term commitment. You can find more Big Surprises events on the Community Service Learning website!
Download the Treedom App: Not only is Treedom a great way to track your service hours, it also lists ideas for volunteering both inside the SUA community and virtually. Ideas included on the app involve recording yourself reading a book, making homemade masks, and virtual zoomba. Treedom is an ideal way to determine what kinds of service you prefer and to research further opportunities!
Tutor: If you are an upperclassmen in NHS, the counselors are looking for students to tutor freshmen. If you have participated in Bulldogs Buddies previously, this is a perfect alternative option. Don’t hesitate to email your counselor if this sounds like something you would be interested in. Another way to tutor is through Guiding Light Mentoring, which is searching for volunteers to mentor and tutor students in Cincinnati.
Donate to St. Vincent De Paul: Donating clothing and household goods to a local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store helps people in need in our local area. You can find more information here.
Check out dosomething.org: This website is full of opportunities for teens to get involved locally and on a larger scale. Their goal is to generate social change and they have led projects collecting donated jeans, registering people to vote, and cleaning up cigarette butts.
During this unprecedented time, these local and SUA organizations need our help more than ever. We have the means to help others and it is our responsibility to serve those who are less fortunate than us. This list is a great starting point for safe and easy ways to volunteer, but there are still many others; the Community Service Learning site is overflowing with them.