Students get in on the act – Dawg Day of Service

With so many opportunities to get involved in the Athens community, and a student body attuned to helping others, the September Dawg Day of Service set a new standard for the number of participating students and service sites across Athens. It's never to early to learn that investing in your community is a hands-on experience:

Organized by Serve UGA – student-led groups within UGA’s Department of Engagement, Leadership, and Service – students spread across 30 diverse locations throughout Athens-Clarke County and the surrounding area. Their efforts included cleaning spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness, writing cards for memory care patients, and planting gardens.

Participating student organizations included the Black Affairs Council, Alpha Sigma Phi, ASL Dawgs, Filipino Student Association, Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., University Union, UGA Homecoming, UGA NAACP, the Graduate Student Association, and the Black Felicity Student Association.

Community partners with longstanding relationships with UGA students were also part of the event. Sabrina Webb, a participant experience coordinator for Dawg Day of Service and a service ambassador for UGArden, shared her heart for service.

“I would recommend serving to other students because it gives one the ability to meet like-minded people and know that you are making a difference in what you did during the event,” Webb said. “I believe through our core value of sustainable service we are able to leave a lasting impression and not a quick, fleeting action.”

Continue reading. Kudos to these student groups for their efforts and all they likely discovered about their adopted town by sharing a little of their time and energy. The symbiosis of getting involved in your community – and allowing the community to get involved in you – strengthens connections to creativity, conscience, and citizenship.

Image: Led by Director of Member Development Emma Benedict, students pack essential hygiene items for community members at City of Refuge.