A turnout of over 300 volunteers makes for a day full of hard work
Student Volunteer Connections, (SVC), successfully hosted their 28th Annual Project Serve Day on Sept. 13. Students volunteered their time at locations across Guelph, including the Guelph Food Bank, Guelph-Wellington Women In Crisis, and Royal City Mission.
Saturday started off with free coffee and cookies for the volunteers and an announcement by SVC staff Helen Keen. She thanked everyone for coming, prepared volunteers for what the day would entail, acknowledged the land’s Indigenous ancestry and asked everyone to reflect on the importance of shared responsibility to the environment and community.
With 20 organizations involved, there were lots of work opportunities for volunteers; maintaining the boardwalk on the Hanlon Creek Trail, helping out at the Fergus Fall Fair, transplanting trees at The Green Legacy tree nursery and keeping outdoor play areas tidy for the Guelph Humane Society. By the end of the event, a total of 1,000 volunteer hours were contributed to the community.
Many volunteers stated that they were drawn to the event in the hopes of making new friends at the University of Guelph. Having just moved to the city this fall, graduate student Muskan Prafulkumar Tandel was not only excited to help the community, but also to get to know other people in Guelph.
With most of the work being team-based, students were able to bond with neighbouring volunteers in their group through collaboration. The randomized project assignment helped volunteers build new relationships on and off campus, all while contributing to a project that encourages community strength and connection.
At The Green Legacy, volunteers help keep the program running. Community Outreach Coordinator Adam McDowell explained the history of the tree nursery while giving students a tour of the property. McDowell prepared each volunteer for an afternoon full of transplanting seedlings—which were then stored in a greenhouse until they are ready to be distributed within the community in the spring.
The Green Legacy has planted over 3 million trees in the past 21 years. Through Project Serve, volunteers were able to transplant a total of 3,015 trees in only a few hours.
Upon their return to campus, pizza and pop was provided for Project Serve volunteers to enjoy while they browsed the Volunteer Fair in the University Centre. Due to the planning of the SVC team, those who were interested in finding more long-term volunteer opportunities did not have to travel far. Local organizations set up booths for anyone interested in grabbing a flyer and learning more about the available work.
With the hopes of finding something in their field; food science students Sarana Kadado and Punya Manju were excited to explore the fair after volunteering with the Guelph Tool Library Community Garden.
Many students expressed an interest in returning to Project Serve in future years and were appreciative of the opportunity to make new friends, further personal career interests and, most importantly, contribute to the Guelph community.