Group encourages USC students to interact with Columbia community in variety of areas
For a few hours a day this week, USC students will take Columbia's charities by storm, as the Carolina Service Council celebrates its annual Week of Service.
The group, said its president Christina Galardi, hopes to give students the opportunity to work in a variety of focus areas, ranging from urban agriculture to underprivileged children.
Among the options this year: the Ronald McDonald House, the St. Andrews Kids Cafe, City Roots, Agape Senior Home, PETS Inc. and St. Lawrence Place.
"It'll be a small group, but there will be an opportunity each day of the week," said Galardi, a fourth-year public relations student. "They will be at different times, so we just hope that students would have an available time and that they would be able to dedicate a little bit of time to service this week."
But CSC has broader goals that grow beyond this week as well.
The group, Galardi said, wants to get students involved in the community and encourage campus organizations to organize service volunteer events — goals the organization holds more generally.
"I would say it's kind of celebrating service and its importance to the community and also showing that there are a variety of different ways to serve," she said. "I think our mission is sort of to provide different service opportunities for students organized by students. Hopefully they can meet some students, maybe, that they didn't know before that also have an interest in the service area that they chose to participate in and that will inspire them to continue to do service."
That mission took hold with first-year psychology student Casey Brooks and
first-year public relations student Alli Finkelston, who will act as site leaders Thursday at PETS Inc., a local animal shelter.
CSC is still accepting registrations for the week's opportunities on its website, Galardi said, and invites all students — regardless of their affiliation with the group — to sign up.