SAN ANTONIO — Our Lady of the Lake University’s (OLLU) Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism (CSLV) has partnered with three service partners for this year’s vOLLUnteer IMPACT on Saturday, Mar. 28, 2020. The event vOLLUnteer IMPACT is a university-wide service event that highlights a unique ongoing volunteer tradition at OLLU since 2000.
Started by the Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism and is sponsored by the vOLLUnteer Unity Council. This year’s nonprofits are American Sunrise, where volunteers will engage in gardening and cleaning the surrounding area. St. Stephen’s CARE Center of Catholic Charities to organize the donated food and clothes while assisting clients with general clean up of the center and Neighborhood Prairie Project, which entails placing wooden posts into the ground, removing unwanted plants and distributing a mulch pile. The CSLV is hoping to contribute 100 volunteers to the westside community of San Antonio.
To partake in this project, volunteers must sign up in advance to ensure a spot for themselves with a nonprofit. Students can sign up for the event at the Center for Service-Learning and Volunteerism in Worden room 23. Volunteers will first meet at the Library Community Room around 8 a.m. for check-ins and breakfast. Next, participants will engage in a pre-flection over their service project before heading over to their site. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., volunteers will be involved in service at their nonprofit before coming back to campus for lunch. Lastly, students will engage in theological reflections with the Sisters of Divine Providence and receive recognition for volunteering. There will also be a raffle for various door prizes going on afterward and everyone will receive a service t-shirt.
“It’s good for the soul. Not only are you fulfilling an agency’s mission, you are fulfilling your duty as a human,” said VUC Student Director of Projects, Marinela Briseno-Hernandez, on why she volunteered last year. “Knowing you/I volunteered makes me feel good mentally and physically because I know I’ve made a change in someone’s life. Big or small, the effort was there.”
Volunteering is a big part of OLLU’s mission, using the university’s core values, integrity, service, community and trust. The vOLLUnteer IMPACT reflects this in allowing the OLLU community to participate in three service projects and reflect the impact made while serving their community.
“Joining us on IMPACT will allow you to experience a great day of service around the surrounding Westside community,” said VUC Student Director of Marketing, Naomi Escalera. “You should expect an inciting feeling of inspiration that you can take back to your own community.”
This unique volunteer project will serve to strengthen the relationship and commitment Our Lady of the Lake University has to serve San Antonio’s westside.
If you’re interested in this event or any other volunteer activity, come by the CSLV office in Worden 23 to sign up. You may contact them via email at vuc@ollusa.edu or call 210-431-3990.
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