USM Center for Community Engagement Helps Students Gain Volunteer Experience

Wed, 10/02/2019 - 03:01pm | By: Van Arnold

At the University of Southern Mississippi, students are challenged to soar above recognizable heights in their pursuit of academic excellence. That same lofty spirit is applied to opportunities that stretch beyond the customary classroom.

Through the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), students can sign up for various service-learning projects throughout the academic year. The center has established partnerships with more than 100 Hattiesburg area agencies to facilitate activities that integrate learning, service, and leadership.

Six weeks into the fall 2019 semester, CCE Director Christy Arrazattee says that her office has seen a steady stream of students inquiring about volunteer projects.

“Our office has been extremely busy with service consultations, which are one-on-one meetings with students and CCE staff where we provide customized recommendations regarding places to volunteer,” she said. “We’ve had 72 requests since the beginning of the semester, and that doesn’t count walk-ins.”

But the numbers don’t end there. Arrazattee notes:

· The student organization Volunteer USM had 102 people at its first service night, where those in attendance made blankets that will be presented to homeless individuals at the city’s Project Homeless Connect event on Oct. 25. These students have been volunteering in the community twice a week.

· There are 36 students participating in REACH, the CCE’s community work study program, where students serve at a non-profit up to 16 hours a week as part of their on-campus employment.

· During Golden Eagle Welcome Week in August, approximately 250 students ventured into the community for voluntary service.

· Major projects planned for the current fall semester include a meal packing event as part of Homecoming festivities on Oct. 8 where more than 200 volunteers will package 50,000 meals for distribution to the Edwards Street Food Pantry, Christian Services and the Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry. In November the center will sponsor its annual Salvation Army Angel Tree whereby anyone can “adopt” a local child for the holidays and buy items from the child’s Christmas list.

A native of Jefferson City, Mo., Arrazattee got her first real taste of volunteerism after earning her bachelor’s degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. She later earned a master’s degree from Louisiana State University.

“My first real job out of college was recruiting volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system,” she said. “I think that’s when I first realized how important volunteering was, and to this day I believe those volunteers changed the lives of those children. And if I recruited them, then I had a tiny part in that.”

Arrazattee firmly believes that students who are engaged in service activities around their community gain valuable knowledge about interacting with diverse populations and become better connected to those communities.

“They’re also able to meet people and gain experiences they would not be able to get on campus or in a classroom,” she said.

USM senior nursing major Danielle Bailey estimates that she has contributed approximately 30 volunteer hours through various CCE programs. The Jackson, Miss., native serves as the Vice President for Finance in Volunteer USM. She sees volunteering as an ideal way to pay her blessings forward.

“Volunteering is important to me because I am fortunate enough to live a comfortable and healthy lifestyle,” she said. “I love to give back to the community in any shape, form, or fashion. I chose to major in nursing to be able to help various communities and populations. I always say even the little things matter and make a difference, no matter if it’s something as simple as writing a motivational note or making a blanket to keep warm.”

Arrazattee points out that the support of the Hattiesburg community plays an instrumental role in providing a platform for student volunteerism, while also helping the center retain students.

“We rely on the goodwill of the community to let our students volunteer, work, intern, live and shop. We rely on the them to welcome our students when they arrive each August,” said Arrazattee. “Our faculty look to the neighborhoods, schools, churches, recreation and research opportunity when considering job offers. Thus, supporting our neighbors is also supporting ourselves. We rely on them to keep Hattiesburg a great place to live just as much as they rely on us to keep Hattiesburg a great place to live. It’s a partnership in every sense of the word.” 

To learn more about USM’s Center for Community Engagement, call 601.266.5074 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/community-engagement/