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Contributing to the community
By Emily Wescott
Whalesong Contributor
Last
year, in one afternoon, student Senator Jamie Atkinson painted at
the Boys and Girls Club of Juneau and the AWARE shelter, sorted
flower bulbs with the Gastineau Rotary Club and had lunch with John
Pugh, the chancellor of UAS. Atkinson was busier than most; volunteers
for the annual United Way Day of Caring usually work on only one
project alongside community members, UAS faculty and staff and their
peers.
“You’re helping out in the community and getting
to know others,” Atkinson said. “It’s great, especially
if you’re not from Alaska. It was lots of fun and we made connections
with community members.”
The second annual Day of Caring will begin at 10 a.m.
on Saturday, Sept. 21. Volunteers sign up to work for the day at
a local nonprofit agency and receive a free lunch. The first 72
volunteers are provided with a free T-shirt commemorating the event.
Lynne Johnson, director of development at UAS and coordinator
of the event, said Day of Caring offers students, staff and faculty
an opportunity to contribute to the community while experiencing
the value of volunteerism.
“It’s about building strong communities,”
Johnson said. “Day of Caring is one of the ways (the United
Way) makes that happen.” According to Johnson, Day of Caring
also offers the UAS community an opportunity for teambuilding. “Where
else can students go spend a Saturday working alongside the chancellor,
our provost or perhaps a faculty member?” Johnson asked. “It’s
a great time for (the community) to get to know the students …
outside of the daily routine.”
This year, 14 volunteer projects are available for students,
with several that will occur on a different date than the Day of
Caring. On Sept. 25, the Student Activites Center will host a group
of 13 children from the Boys and Girls Club of Juneau at the Student
Activities Center. Students, faculty and staff will interact with
the children learning to use the climbing wall, playing pool and
other activities.
Other volunteer opportunities on Sept. 21 include cleaning
at the Glory Hole; assembling playground equipment at the AWARE
shelter; landscaping at the Food Bank; power-washing the Gastineau
Humane Society; assembling shelves at the Northern Lights Junior
Theatre; and preparing and packing lunches at St. Vincent de Paul,
then delivering them to the other work sites.
To learn more about Day of Caring opportunities or to
sign up to volunteer, please contact the Development Office at 465-2848
or Student Government at 465-6517.
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