In its 16th year, the organization, which involves more than half of the Emory community each year in its projects, wants students, faculty and staff to participate in their efforts through a three-tiered approach: preparation, action and reflection, according to Mary Campbell-Jenkins, staff coordinator of Volunteer Emory.
"The old view of Volunteer Emory was as a resource center that maintains and updates information about volunteer opportunities in the Atlanta area," said College senior Elizabeth Davis, student co-director of the organization. "The new view encompasses our service partnerships."
Service partnerships are weekly trips to set destinations in Atlanta that encompass a wide range of community problems, including AIDS, hunger and homelessness, and youth and education programs. Students involved in service partnerships take weekly trips to shelters and organizations that focus on these issues. There are four teams, with 10 to 15 total students in each team. The trips take approximately three hours a week, including the 15 to 20-minute travel time.
Those students working with AIDS travel to Jerusalem House, a shelter for people with AIDS or HIV who would otherwise be homeless. Students working in hunger and homelessness travel to Boulevard House, a shelter for homeless families that provides an after-school program for its children. Youth and education programs travel to both the Benson and Benteen schools in Atlanta to teach both weekday and Saturday courses.
Campbell-Jenkins said this proactive approach attempts to "focus on continuity and relationship building. It's an effort to combine education and service. We get students interested in the programs, and then we support them."
College senior Joe Kable, student co-director, cited the new approach as "a two-way street. The agencies also become educated about the students who come and who they serve."
Volunteer Emory, which was the first United Way satellite in the nation to be chartered on a college campus, continues to sponsor larger volunteer events that allow the Emory community to be involved on a one-day basis. These projects include Sports Camp, the AIDS Walk, Halloween Happenings and Playday in the Park. Attendees comprise members of the Atlanta Boys and Girls Clubs and children from other homeless shelters. "It's a chance for people at Emory to have a one-time volunteer opportunity," Kable said. "We also hope it will be a hook that brings people in to participate in other volunteer projects."
"We have lots of information to share," Campbell-Jenkins said. "We have a good relationship with students, but we need to reach out to faculty and staff."
"We are citizens of the community, even if we are only here for four years," Davis said. "We must be involved."
To obtain information on Volunteer Emory events and opportunities, call 727-6268 between noon and 4 p.m. on weekdays.
-- Danielle Service