UMD Rallies to Volunteer at Dozens of Organizations
For the second year in a row, hundreds of University of Minnesota Duluth students spent part of their Saturday at more than 25 different local organizations for free.
"You can have multiple communities. It can be when you come from at home, but it can also be right now when you are attending college, said Eric Zoellick, UMD's community engagement specialist.
Zoellick organized the event that's called "Champ Day of Service" – where UMD students volunteer more than 1,000 hours in one day to help the community, like the Boys & Girls Club of the Northland.
Alec Staffon is the director of teen services at the club in Lincoln Park.
More than a 100 kids visit the facility every afternoon, so the extra help from UMD students makes all the difference.
"It's a huge help for us, and like I say, without these volunteers, a lot of these jobs would not get done," Staffon said.
Little jobs that add up, like straightening up the book shelves, wiping down and sanitizing the tech lab, and cleaning up a once-messy art room are just some of the jobs.
"It's a great help to us," Staffon said.
While organizations benefit from the help, UMD officials said it's also a time for its college students to explore the world around them before they enter life after graduation.
"It could be something you've driven past 20 times, or the bus goes by and you don't quite pay attention until you are walking in the door, and then all of a sudden it's this whole world of opportunity," according to Zoellick.
