On Saturday, April 21, OrangeSeeds will welcome student volunteers to the Big Event, the largest student-run day of community service on campus.
OrangeSeeds volunteers for the 2016 Big Event.
Check-in begins at 9 a.m., with volunteers returning to campus by 3 p.m. The Big Event is put on by a group of first-year and transfer students who connect with local nonprofits to provide service and volunteer work throughout the day.
“The Big Event is a first step in making a more service-oriented student body,” says freshman member Patrick Linehan. “Volunteers will learn about the issues facing our city and the incredible nonprofits doing work to help address those issues. It will be an eye-opening experience, where the volunteers will benefit as much as those they are trying to help.”
Organizers from OrangeSeeds have paired with 14 local organizations to volunteer for the Big Event, including Adapt CNY, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels and the Ronald McDonald House of CNY. Volunteers will help these organizations by providing different service work for each, such as putting together a community garden at Adapt CNY and helping to organize and execute a cookout for guests at the Ronald McDonald House.
“Volunteering off campus provides an opportunity to expose students to a beautiful, vibrant community full of people with rich and important stories,” says A.J Seymour ‘21.
“Having the opportunity to engage with the community right around us is so rewarding and should be utilized. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make someone’s day and create memories,” says Isabella Falcione ‘20.
Check-in on April 21 begins at 9 a.m. at Hendricks Chapel. A light breakfast will be provided and T-shirts will be given out to the first 150 people to check in.
At the check-in, two speakers will begin the event with welcome speeches. They are the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, and Syeisha Bird, the director of the Office of Engagement at Syracuse University.
For more information or to request accommodations, contact OrangeSeeds at orangeseeds@syr.edu.
About Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit www.syracuse.edu.
