Volunteers making fleece blankets in the University Memorial Center to donate to A Precious Child on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (Ann Marie Vanderveen/CU Independent)
The University of Colorado Boulder’s Volunteer Resource Center (VRC) will be hosting several events for students to get involved in the community during National Volunteer Week from April 16-22.
The VRC’s upcoming events include a Boulder Creek cleanup, construction work in the Ponderosa neighborhood with Flatirons Habitat for Humanity and assistance with waste disposal at the spring football game on Sunday, April 22. The VRC hosted a fleece blanket crafting event for families in need on Tuesday, April 18.
As an organization founded by students, the VRC has many opportunities for student involvement. The VRC student staff includes people working on outreach, event planning, community engagement, social media and more.
“It’s a really great way to connect with people and make friends,” said Jadeyn Dugger, the events and education assistant at the VRC. “When you’re volunteering for multiple hours, you’re going to kind of talk a lot about yourself [and] your experiences and really get to know people, while also serving a really good cause and getting to know that organization.”
Andrew Alexander, the assistant director of the VRC, said he saw that many students who volunteer at least once are more likely to get involved multiple times and become a part of the VRC staff and community. He said these students often feel a sense of belonging and accomplishment as a result of their volunteer work.
“They’re feeling like they’re making a difference,” Alexander said.
The VRC website describes volunteering as a “vehicle for social justice.” Dugger said she found volunteering to be a way to embody these values and support a wide variety of issues and people.
“Learning that you do have an impact in your community gives [you] a lot more agency in how you operate in your day-to-day life,” Dugger said. “It can be really empowering for students.”
“Being able to act and serve locally in your own community is one of the small ways to affect change in your own home,” Alexander said.
Find more information about the remaining VRC National Volunteer Week events here.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ann Marie Vanderveen at ann.vanderveen@colorado.edu.
