Civic-minded students and faculty interested in making a difference in the community convened for the second annual University Volunteer Fair at the EMU Concourse on Wednesday. The fair, which continues today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., features 25 tables promoting local service projects, agencies and volunteer opportunities ranging from emergency shelter maintenance to adult tutoring.
“The goal is to get students to realize that there are people out there that need help,” Volunteer Fair Coordinator Jackie Reed said. “Students just don’t realize there are homeless people, hungry people, children that don’t have shoes to go to school in, right here in Eugene.”
Patrick Carr, a graduate assistant in the Greek Life Office who is helping to coordinate the fair, said the event allows students to see where their services are needed.
“This is a way that we can provide a forum for students to meet with community services and find something that matches their interests,” Carr said. He said the fair is designed to educate students about the local service agencies and the problems they seek to address.
Debbey Chastain, a spokeswoman for a Lane County agency that offers emergency services for families with health issues, called Shelter Care, said the organization has a couple of volunteers from the University working at its two shelters in Springfield and in Eugene. She said she hopes Shelter Care’s presence at the 2003 fair will help increase student involvement in the agency.
“It’s not that people don’t care, a lot of people just don’t know how they can volunteer,” Chastain said.
This observation seemed to be true among many of the students perusing the 25 booths Wednesday. Freshman Kimberly Evans said she was lured to the fair by a flyer.
“I don’t think most people think about (volunteering),” she said “If they knew how to get involved, I think they would.”
Freshman Jessica Bryan echoed these sentiments. Bryan, who was involved in community service in high school, said she would like to be involved now in Eugene, but it is hard to know where to begin.
“When there are events like this that show people how they can help, it is really successful,” Bryan said.
Interested students are encouraged to stop by the EMU concourse for more information on volunteering. Agencies include Food for Lane County, Committed Partnership for Youth, HIV Alliance, Sexual Assault Support Services, Kids First and March of Dimes, among others.