Civic Engagement Fair lets students get involved

    Every day organizations and vendors set up tables in front of the Student Union, but on Tuesday, the groups under the booths encouraged passers-by to focus beyond themselves and their immediate surroundings during the Civic Engagement Fair, hosted by Volunteer UCF.

There were about nine different groups outside the Student Union Tuesday, most of which presented opportunities for students to volunteer. Some were student organizations, like VUCF and United Nations Association at UCF and others were organizations based in the surrounding community.

Students had the opportunity to connect with many different organizations all centered on civil engagement, volunteering, and bettering the UCF Orlando communities.

VUCF is organized under the Office of Student Involvement and works directly with local agencies in need of volunteers. Part of their mission statement is to promote "community service and education on various social issues to the University of Central Florida, through a variety of programs, committees, events, and ongoing projects".

VUCF engages in numerous service projects, including helping out at the Avian Reconditioning Center, sorting donated food and clothes, volunteering at the Child Care department at Harbor House, and volunteering at Orlando Day Nursery.

Karen Aldrich represented ODN, which has been providing healthy meals and affordable early childhood education to young children in the Orlando area since 1921.

Aldrich has noticed a particular need in the Orlando community.

"The education of children that are homeless and also [caring for] younger children [is important] as well, so that they will know how to live life and enjoy life to the best of their potential."

One way to help would be to volunteer as a child mentor or teacher support volunteer at ODN.

After perusing several booths and speaking with representatives from different organizations, Chase Douglas, a criminal justice major, expressed his opinion about volunteering as a college student.

" It's important to be involved in the community because it gets you out of your own personal world that you get dragged into of just trying to meet deadlines and trying to make good grades… instead, it gets you out into your community so that you can give back and be a part of something more than just yourself," Douglas said.

In addition to meeting with representatives of different agencies, the Civic Engagement Fair also included a booth where students could vote for their choice of student senator. There was also free food and water for those who participated.