Aggies browsed options to get plugged in to local volunteer organizations Wednesday.
The Student Activities Leadership and Service Center Spring Volunteer Opportunities Fair hosted 36 different companies and had about 60 students visit per hour. The event was much larger than in the previous three years, said Susan Miculka, an administrative coordinator in Student Activities.
Miculka said the idea behind the volunteer fair was to bring local organizations on campus so students have the opportunity to see what volunteer opportunities are available in Bryan-College Station.
“The primary purpose of the fair is to have the students interact with agencies in the local community so that while they are living and studying in College Station they can go to those agencies on a regular basis,” Miculka said. “We don’t want to have them drive out of town to volunteer — there is so much need in this area.”
Many groups jumped at the chance to spread the word about their organizations, said Trevor Riek, civil engineering junior and representative for Habitat for Humanity.
“We heard it was a great opportunity to represent our organization, talk about different service opportunities and get to know other service organizations in the area,” Riek said. “We can spread awareness and get more people to volunteer with us.”
Grace Cantu, psychology senior and representative of the Brazos Valley Boys and Girls Club, said this year had a good turnout, with many people interested in signing up for new organizations.“I see a lot of people interested and it is great to see people reaching out, trying to give back to their community,” Cantu said.
Jeffery Shelton, history junior, said he was at the fair to learn about new opportunities and was excited to see such a variety of organizations.
“They brought a lot of different volunteer organizations,” Shelton said. “It’s not just children, it’s not just pets, it’s everything. There is even stuff I have never heard of.”
Miculka said volunteering gves students an example of how to demonstrate the core values of Texas A&M.
“Selfless service is one of our core values, and it is very important for students to have that opportunity to figure out what is available in the local area so that they can find something that they are interested in,” Miculka said.