Community Service
Each one of us draws support and resources from our community in many ways. Community service is a great way to give back to and learn about your local community. It also gives you an opportunity to develop new skills, meet new people, and learn more about yourself. Getting involved in community service allows to you share your time and skills with others who desperately need it.
Rackham helps students to connect with, build, and sustain meaningful service opportunities in Ann Arbor and local areas. Whether you are interested in volunteering with your friends at Rackham or in meeting new people with similar interests, these events will be a great way to get involved and have some fun. Below are some resources to help get you started. Rackham will send out more community service opportunities through e-mail.
For more information about Rackham and other volunteer opportunities for graduate students contact Lynne Shivers.
Examples of Rackham Community Service Events:
Fall Chore Day with Neighborhood Senior Services
Join hundreds of volunteers on Neighborhood Senior Services’ annual fall chore day. Volunteers assist in raking leaves and checking smoke alarms for seniors throughout Washtenaw County. Neighborhood Senior Services helps senior citizens enjoy the independence of living in their own homes with dignity. Equipment and refreshments will be provided, and volunteers will need reliable transportation.
Community Service Day
Rackham identifies several local non-profit agencies that have projects they need help with. Student volunteers meet at Rackham to receive their assignment and then are transported to the various agencies where the service projects take place. Students return to Rackham for a pizza lunch. Past projects have included:
- stocking and organizing the shelves at a local food pantry
- moving and cleaning displays at a local art center
- maintenance at a local shelter for teenagers
- working in natural areas to remove invasive species, improve trails, and collect and disperse native seeds at a local park
- “Sciencepalooza” at the Hands-On Museum
- Student volunteers help with the museum’s hands-on activities for children.
- Food Drive for Food Gatherers
- Graduate Students have donated hundreds of canned goods and other non-perishable items to Food Gatherers during a specific time period. Over the past three years, more than three hundred pounds of food have been donated.
- Blood Drive at the Michigan Union
- Graduate students participate in the Big Ten Blood Challenge Blood Drive, sponsored by the American Red Cross.
- Spirit Team Volunteers at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run
- Join volunteers who marshal a section of the race path and cheer on fellow students participating in the marathon.
Resources
Ann Arbor City Guide
The City of Ann Arbor provides a list of organizations seeking volunteers.
The Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning
1024 Hill Street
Phone: 734-647-7402
The Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning offers several opportunities to learn while serving in the community, as well as a multitude of resources. The Ginsberg Center’s list of general Service Opportunities helps students find projects sorted by issue areas such as Arts & Culture and Social Justice.
They also have a Student Run Service and Social Justice Organizations section that lists over 80 organizations for students to contact.