Elon Volunteers!: A Way to Get Out and Give Back
As the fall semester comes to an end (I know, how?!), it’s time to look back on what we’ve done during this chaotic and ultimately different time in our lives. Engagement in organizations has been difficult, especially since we’re all meeting through a computer, but there are still ways to get involved around campus if you’re looking for ways to escape your dorm room.
Elon Volunteers! (EV!) is an on-campus organization that exists to provide all members of Elon the opportunity to engage in service by connecting campus and community through giving back. EV! is Elon’s hub for service opportunities on campus, offering chances to engage in service through regular programs, one-time events, and Alternative Breaks. EV! is a student-run and student-led organization, with over 100 student leaders coordinating a wide variety of programs and opportunities.
Photo provided by Jo Crump with Elon Volunteers!
Jo Crump is the Leaders in Collaborative Service Director (LINCS) for Elon Volunteers and oversees all of the volunteer sites such as Burlington Housing Authority, Allied Churches and Family Abuse Services.
“Currently we have about five LINCS coordinators that partner with a community organizations like Burlington Housing Authority, Allied Churches, Family Abuse Services any sort of social service organization in the county,” says Crump. “They recruit volunteers from Elon to do their service ELR there to volunteer with another organization they belong with, but they are basically the liaison between Elon and that organization and then in my role as the director.”
With every new class there is a swarm of people that initially decide to sign up for Elon Volunteers! At the typical organization fair, EV! sees a high amount of interest from first years especially; however, it’s finding people to continue throughout the program that is a struggle for them.
“I think there are a lot of students interested in volunteering with EV! but I don’t think we retain as many volunteers as we would like to throughout the year,” Crump says. “I’m involved with the alternative break program too and we always struggle to recruit coordinators to lead these service trips and then also recruit volunteers to go on them.”
For those interested, EV! hosts spring break trips to various states and countries. While spring break will look differently this year, EV! is working on finding other ways to engage with the student body and allow students to continually give back and meet a variety of people.
“My biggest hope for the program is that there's not as much turnover in hiring, that people who apply to these positions in the future apply early on so that we can keep them the entire four years or three and a half if they take a semester abroad while they're at Elon, just because I think it takes a lot of time to get to know the site you're at, you know, really get to know and understand the problem at hand and who's affected that I just think I would like to see more students stay in these roles for a longer period of time,” she says.
If you are looking to give back, meet new people, or participate more in extracurricular activities, visit the EV! website.