Photo courtesy of the FIU Center for Leadership and Service
Amanda Gray / Contributing Writer
FIU Day of Service, is a day where people join across the nation to volunteer in giving back to their community, by providing support for those individuals who are in need.
FIU will be hosting its bi-annual Day of Service this Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
This event will be held virtually, as a platform to facilitate the gathering of FIU students, faculty, alumni, and other community leaders.
Although the event will be held online for the first time, specific actions have been taken to ensure that the integrity of the event remains the same.
The Day of Service hosted by FIU Center for Leadership and Service, is a day for people to join across the nation to volunteer in giving back to individuals who are in need.
Organizations that will commit to engaging in projects to help with the community include Kristi House, We Care Chemo Kits, Lotus House, Surfrider, and Ocean Plastics.
While the event will be virtual for the first time in its history, the goals of the event will stay the same.
Amanda McDole, assistant director of the Center for Leadership and Service explained what participants can expect from Saturday’s experience.
“This year is going to be a similar experience as far as giving back to different community partners and partnering with different organizations and nonprofits that we have worked with in the past and a few new ones” said McDole.
Due to the remoteness of the event, specific measures will be taken to ensure a hands-on experience for participants. Certain engagement components, such as boxes with different kits in them, will allow for students to assemble projects and donate items to different organizations.
The event will begin on Saturday with an online welcome session.
McDole will give a breakdown to the participants of how the day will go, followed by a few words from the department director Patricia Lopez-Guerrero.
After the welcome session, each participant will receive an individual zoom link that will take them to a space where they can engage in their respective projects.
The Panther Community Action (PCA) Board, dedicated to highlighting student-led community engagement projects, will be leading and facilitating the different projects in this year’s event.
A unique aspect of this year’s Day of Service is the quality time that participants will have with different community partners.
McDole explained that the attendees will have “the opportunity to connect with them [community partners] one-on-one. In the past, they’re usually just working at the organizations but this time they get a little more interaction since it’s virtual.”
The Day of Service will be held on National Make A Difference Day, a day that highlights community service throughout the year. Universities across the country are utilizing this specific day to give back to their respective communities. For FIU, this day will give a special opportunity to serve the city that supports them.
“We give back because as Panthers, that is kind of what we’re known for. Our city gives so much to FIU, and so this is an opportunity for us as Panthers to showcase how much support we generate for the community around us,” said McDole.
Some of the community organizations that will be present at the event have been known to give volunteering, internship, and job opportunities to FIU students and graduates. Students can expect to hear from different FIU alumni on Saturday, who will be sharing their experiences as Panthers now in the workplace.
The Day of Service is not an opportunity solely given to students and alumni but seeks to further its outreach to the Miami area.
“What’s unique about the Day of Service is that we also allow community members to participate as well. A lot of students, even the students organizing [the event], invite family members and friends outside of the university to come together with fellow Panthers to contribute and participate in service,” McDole shared.
Saturday’s Day of Service will be an opportunity to connect with different people and address social issues in the local community through volunteering.
Registration for the Day of Service closes on Friday, Oct. 23.
You can read more about the event details here: https://calendar.fiu.edu/event/fiu_day_of_service#.X5HL73hKiqA
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