Numerous Volunteer Opportunities Available to Students Through the University’s SERVE Center

Students who are interested in volunteering on campus or in the Kirksville community should go to the SERVE Center to become acquainted with the opportunities available.

The SERVE Center, located on the lower level of the Student Union, assists and promotes student involvement in community service. It provides information about community agencies looking for volunteers and assists volunteers in contacting agencies involved in a particular project. Students may register to obtain volunteer opportunity information through the SERVE website at http://serve.truman.edu/ by e-mail at serve@truman.edu, by phone at 785.7222, or by visiting the Center and completing a brief registration form.

SERVE Center Adviser Amy Currier estimates at least half of Truman students participate in some form of service for various reasons. They may serve for the opportunity to get involved, for the chance to help and interact with community members, or simply to continue the volunteering they began during high school.

The SERVE Center on Truman’s campus is a big help to these students and to community members seeking volunteers. The Center matches students’ individual tastes with agencies in the community and on campus. Their motto “Helping You Help Others” reflects this purpose.

In addition to the many ongoing service projects in which students and groups participate, numerous unique opportunities and events are planned each year.

During the fall semester, the SERVE Center’s largest event is the Big Week of Giving. The focus of this event is to bring awareness to the number of hungry people that reside in Adair County and to collect food and monetary donations to assist these individuals. The SERVE Center also raises money for the Northeast Missouri Special Olympics during the annual Bowl for Gold event, and assists with the coordination of the Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser in early February.

More than 50 volunteers lead games and entertain children at the Thompson Center Halloween Carnival, and the Kirksville public school carnivals during the spring and fall semesters. Student groups also organize the Ryle Holiday Market each winter to raise money for Victim Support Services.

Each spring, the SERVE Center coordinates a citywide service project called the Big Event in which?Truman students say a big “thank you” to the people of Kirksville for their support of the University. This gathering of more than 1,000 volunteers is the largest event sponsored by Truman’s SERVE Center annually.

Other spring events include organizing and visiting schools for a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. Students also join the SERVE Center in raising awareness for heart disease by participating in Wear Red Day and raising money through the Rhapsody in Red Heart Gala, Kirksville’s primary fundraising event for the American Heart Association. This year’s Gala will take place Nov. 7. Many organizations also sponsor blood drives and other fundraisers for various philanthropies throughout the year. For more information about volunteer opportunities, contact the SERVE Center at 785.7222.

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