Salt Lake Community College volunteers came together to pack “teacher survival kits” for Esperanza Elementary during February’s SLCC Serves service project.
For two hours, volunteers wrote thank-you cards and packed goodie bags for teachers from Esperanza Elementary, a community partner with SLCC.
“We have some students that are tutors at [Esperanza Elementary], and we just have a relationship with them,” said Savannah O’Sickey, coordinator for student community service at the Thayne Center. “They reached out, and they expressed that they would love if we could create teacher support kits, and we were able to make it happen.”
In addition to participating in the service projects, participants are encouraged to write a reflection on their experience. According to the SLCC Serves website, the reflections help volunteers shift to a “community-engaged” lens and gain a deeper understanding of social issues.
O’Sickey noted attendance for the SLCC Serves projects remains steady, with typically 20 to 30 participants. Students can register online or walk into the event to volunteer.
“We have one more [service project] in March,” O’Sickey said. “Then we have our Day of Service, which is a larger-scale event in April.”
The Thayne Center hosts a Day of Service once every fall and spring semester. These projects involve students, staff members and faculty going off campus to participate in service opportunities with community partners.
Past community partners for the Day of Service include Tracy Aviary, Catholic Community Services, New Roots Farm, The Children’s Center, the SLCC Bruin Pantry and the SLCC Student Gardens.
For more information on SLCC Serves service projects or the Day of Service and how to get involved, visit the Thayne Center’s Community Engagement page.
