If there is one thing NDB loves, it is giving back to the community. Not only does Notre Dame have clubs focused on philanthropy, but the school also offers many opportunities on and off campus for students to engage in community service.
The school, of course, requires students to have a certain number of community service hours in order to graduate. Students must have 80 hours of service. It is a requirement to volunteer at four or more different places in order to get a broad understanding of different types of service. Even though this is required, so many Notre Dame students go above and beyond because they want to contribute, not because they have to.
Sophomore Annemarie Boland often volunteers at Loved Twice, a non-profit organization that collects newborn clothes for at-risk newborns. Loved Twice partners with local schools, stores and communities to get lightly used clothes. They have drop-off sites at various locations such as Natural Resources SF in San Francisco and Cambrian Branch Library in San Jose. Most of their clients are single mothers who are in need of support, and Loved Twice is there to help them. Boland shared what volunteering there typically looks like. “When I volunteer there, I sort through children’s clothes, tagging them with their sizes and price,” said Boland. She also explained what the community is like at Loved Twice. “The community is very tight, and a lot of the people that do it are returning volunteers, so it’s a really nice and lively atmosphere,” she said. If students are interested in volunteering at Loved Twice, there are many different volunteer options on their website at lovedtwice.org.
Sophomore Tessa Henry is a familiar face at Monday Market, an organization through One Life Counseling Center. One Life’s Monday Market is every Monday in San Carlos, and volunteers help set up tables and tents, fill shelves up with products and organize donations. They are able to get food from grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s and Safeway by partnering with another organization called Second Harvest. With the help of volunteers and many donations, they are able to serve over 100 families in need. Henry shared her thoughts on the environment at Monday Market. “It’s just kind of fun to interact with everyone. And it’s just like, I’d say, yeah, it’s a pretty friendly community,” said Henry. She also shared one thing she’d like students interested in volunteering at Monday Market to know. “Like, it’s very rewarding and sometimes, like, I’d say special, or sometimes it feels like, oh, you just need to get this for hours. But then, for me, I always end up, like, really enjoying it, and feeling very grateful that I did it.” If you are curious about volunteering at One Life’s Monday Market, visit onelifecounselingcenter.com.
The school makes it really easy for people to get involved. An email called “NDB Community Service This Week” is sent out to let students know about community service drives the school hosts for its community partners. Students can earn community service hours by donating items that support various service organizations. For example, in September, NDB collected body wash, toothbrushes, and toothpaste for Ayudando Latinos a Sonar, a nonprofit organization that helps Latino farm workers and their families. Another organization that has had service drives is CORA, an organization that supports women affected by intimate partner abuse. There are also service drives around the holidays. Students should watch their email for the next community service drive as an easy and fun way to give back.
Another way to support the community is to join an NDB club focused on service. One club is the Key Club, which works with other schools in the area to organize social and service events. This club is a great opportunity to meet new people and gain service hours. Another service-focused club is the Service Club, which informs students about upcoming service events they will be hosting. They make it easier for students to participate in service events, for example, running donation drives at school for several different outside organizations.
Community service is important because it fills the needs of people who may be struggling without help. For the people who volunteer, it makes them feel connected to their community and allows them to learn more about causes they can support to make a difference. Giving back together as a school community brings students closer together.
