Students join in weekend of community service

College life is full. Between quizzes and midterms, finals and papers, a 10-week quarter seems to whiz by, with weekends reserved not just for study but for laundry, socializing and sleep as well.

Nevertheless, once a quarter, 160 or so UC Davis students volunteer their time during a Weekend of Service doing everything from planting trees to making dolls for children with life-threatening illnesses. The next Weekend of Service is Feb. 5-6. Sign-ups begin on Jan. 24.

In 2007-08, UC Davis volunteers recorded 250,000 volunteer hours — enough to receive a place on the U.S. President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a university can receive for its commitment to volunteering.

“Fraternities and sororities do it, independent students do it with their friends,” explains Hayley Peltz, student manager of the Community Service Resource Center, a program of the UC Davis Internship and Career Center. “Typically, there are about four or five projects each day that students can participate in.”

While students can and do volunteer through the center year-round, Peltz says the service weekends allow community organizations to sponsor daylong projects and give students an opportunity to make a limited commitment that fits easily into even the busiest of schedules.

“It’s a really great experience,” says Peltz. “I know parents are worried about students making the most of their college experience, and I really feel community services does this.

“Not only are you connecting with community partners, you are meeting a bunch of people you probably wouldn’t have met,” she said. “It’s great to put yourself out of your bubble. You’ve worked so hard to come to college and you’ve done all these things for yourself. This is the time to give something back.”

To help students find volunteer opportunities at any time, the resource center maintains an online database of more than 600 community organizations, and students can sign up to receive e-mails that highlight opportunities.

During 2009-10, students served 400,000 volunteer hours, and Peltz says UC Davis is applying for the honor once again.