Volunteer Center aims to improve community outreach
Honor roll students from Montlieu Academy of Technology participating in activities at HPU’s Fall Festival 2015 hosted by the Volunteer Center. Photo by: highpoint.edu
By Madeline Travell, Organizations Editor//
It is time to give back to the community that has provided a multitude of opportunities and extraordinary experiences. While generosity and kindness is in the air, it is a wonderful time to look into the projects and events the Volunteer Center participates in. By signing up for the club, the season of giving can extend through out the rest of the year.
Kicking off the year with their Fall Festival, High Point University’s Volunteer Center had incredible attendance from the top academically performing students of Montlieu Academy of Technology with 150 children gathering for the educational event. There is another event planned for the spring, where the students who make Montlieu Academy’s honor roll will be invited to HPU’s Spring Carnival.
Take a moment to think of the things that make up your life. Have you expressed how it has impacted your life recently? Right before Thanksgiving break the Volunteer Center held Gratitude Week 2015. One of the most popular events of the week was where students, faculty and staff alike could take a photo with a sign that read “High Point University” across the top and “#gratitudeproject” along the bottom with a space in between to write what they were thankful for at HPU.
Sprinkled throughout the year is an opportunity that always needs volunteers- blood drives. We have all heard these statistics before; however, it never hurts to reiterate them: more than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day, each donation can help save up to three lives and more than 1.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer last year and many of them will need blood (sometimes daily) during their chemotherapy treatment as reported by The American Red Cross website. The blood drives are always willing to accept donations and it is an easy way to provide something vital to someone in need with the Volunteer Center sponsoring HPU’s four blood drives per year.
“Volunteer Center has been an excellent experience for me, not only by allowing me to volunteer along side my peers and some of the wonderful faculty here on campus, but it also allowed me to grow in my leadership and planning skills as well as make friends along the way,” Beck Irons, president, said. “Not only do I get to experience growth in myself, but I also get to see it in the others around me. It’s extremely encouraging seeing people willing to help others and witnessing people who genuinely desire to be an agent of change in other people’s lives.”
Getting involved with the Volunteer Center is a great way to kick-start the holiday spirit and give back to the surrounding community. Meetings are on Mondays on the third floor of Slane at either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. Contact them at volunteercenter@highpoint.edu about any questions you may have on how to get involved or visit their Facebook page “Volunteer Center — High Point University. “