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Annual Volunteer Fair highlights opportunities for campus community to ‘give back’ locally

September 6, 2011
NIU Cares Day 2011

NIU Cares Day 2011

Student Involvement & Leadership Development will host its annual Volunteer Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, in the Stevenson Towers Food Court.

This event is open to the NIU community including students, faculty and staff who are interested in giving back through service. SILD has invited area community agencies and not-for-profit organizations to visit the campus and recruit NIU students for volunteer opportunities within their organization.

The fair, held annually in the fall, provides NIU students the opportunity to visit with representatives from local organizations who are seeking volunteers. These local organizations are provided a table and are encouraged to showcase their organization’s services and needs as well as to provide students with information and the ability to sign up if interested.

The list of organizations participating in this year’s event includes (but is not limited to): the Salvation Army, DeKalb County Court Services, the Midwest Museum of Natural History, American Red Cross, Unity Hospice and the Voluntary Action Center.

“We hope that the Volunteer Fair will be a great kick-off to the year for students who are looking to serve the surrounding communities,” says Becky Harlow, assistant director for community service and coordinator of the event. “We also encourage fair registrants to use the time to fully communicate with potential volunteers regarding their parameters for service opportunities. It’s important for both parties to be on the same page when entering into a volunteer relationship.”

Attending the fair is a good way for students to see what opportunities are in the DeKalb area. The opportunities range from being a youth mentor to working in a food pantry to coordinating blood drives. No matter the reason for seeking a volunteer opportunity, there will plenty of choices for students wanting to get involved.

To learn more about the fair, call Harlow at (815) 753-1421.