Boston University’s Community Service Center hosted its first Service Fair, “Serving Today for a Better Tomorrow,” featuring representatives from 46 organizations looking for motivated high school and college students to volunteer for worthwhile causes.
The fair lasted approximately six hours and attracted more than 220 students, a good turnout according to a CSC spokeswoman.
“Our goal was 200 people, so we surpassed our expectations — I think we did a really good job,” said Sara DeRitter, a College of Arts and Sciences senior and Service Center representative.
The idea of hosting a fair originated early last semester and was launched by Alisa Tenenholtz, a School of Management sophomore and community outreach program manager at the CSC.
“I think a big goal of the fair was to bring together organizations looking for volunteers and students who wanted to volunteer but didn’t know where to go,” said Tim Barry, a College of Communication sophomore involved with the center.
The fair attracted students without previous volunteering experience as well as those already familiar with the rewards of volunteer work. Jenn Fonda, a CAS junior, has been volunteering since junior high school.
“I don’t have a lot of money to donate to charities, but I want to help in any way I can. It makes me feel like there’s more than academics in my life,” Fonda said. “I feel more fulfilled when I can help directly.”
Some students’ motivations to volunteer were practical.
“I have a lot of free time as a student. So, as opposed to watching TV or doing some delinquent activity, I thought I’d do something beneficial for the community,” said Rebecca Loren, a CAS sophomore.
Students said they took time, proximity and level of interest into account when deciding what area of volunteer work to enter.
“The idea of teaching adults is a little daunting, but I like the idea of working with my peers or with children,” Loren said.
Caroline Foulkes, a CAS junior, said distance is a deterrent to working on several of the sites.
“A lot of them take you a good distance off-campus,” Foulkes said. “That adds up to a lot of additional time expenditure not helping the community, just traveling.”
Several students said they did not know if they could fit volunteering into their already hectic schedules.
“As flexible as they [the sites] can be, there is definitely a time commitment,” said Jeremy Stand, a CAS junior.
Not all of the sites demand students put forth a specific time commitment. Korina Ramsland, a Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences junior representing Project 100, said her organization is unique because there is no mandatory time commitment.
“This sometimes can lead to problems because people sign up and don’t do anything,” Ramsland said.
Ramsland said the “BU 500” was a good way of describing how many students become involved in volunteering at BU.
“Out of the entire BU population, only about 500 are truly dedicated. Some students cross-over from group to group,” Ramsland said. “The thing about BU is that you don’t feel pushed into anything because it’s such a diverse community.”
Ramsland said she began to volunteer to get more out of her college experience.
“I wanted more than just parties and classes, and I found that there was a lot more,” she said. “It’s easy to be active in high school, but at a school like BU you have to look. But because of the large, varied amount of opportunities available, you don’t have to look hard.”
Several students said they were more likely to follow up on their interest in volunteering if the organizations followed up on them
“If I get an email I will probably do it as opposed to having to contact them myself,” Loren said. “Typical college laziness, I guess.”
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