USM students will fan out in the Portland area this Friday to lend a helping hand to local charitable organizations for USM’s first annual Day of Service.
“We have set up projects throughout the community and a couple outside of Portland in Southern Maine that is designed to engage a mass amount of students at USM in community work,” said David Cimato, USM’s Volunteer & Leadership Coordinator sponsored by the Americorps Vista program. Students will meet at the Woodbury Campus Center at 9:30 a.m. for a free breakfast and to register different projects before heading off on buses.
Cimato said currently 130 students are registered, but their goal is 150. There’s no deadline to register. Aramark has donated 150 brown bag lunches for the USM volunteers. A party with refreshments and the band Sly Chi will play to conclude the Day of Service.
“This is an introduction to community service,” said Cimato who listed several organizations that students can chose to help on Friday.
Volunteers can visit Rippling Waters Organic Farm, a non-profit farm in Steep Falls that donates healthy vegetables to food pantries and educates local school children about organic agriculture. At Rippling Waters USM students can help prepare the fields for planting or build a bunk house that will host farm interns and apprentices. Students can also help build a community garden in the west end for Wayside Food Rescue, help clean the Preble Street Resource Center and organize or help kids in local Portland schools.
Click here for information and registration.