Student Leader - Helping the Helpers

Helping the Helpers
Students create own Volunteer Resource Center
By Ana Ribero, editorial assistant

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, President Bush made an urgent call for volunteers of all ages to step up and help mend a nation in shock. Students flocked to area organizations to aid in the healing process of broken hearts, hopes, and homes. Not far from Ground Zero, at Drew University in New Jersey, students struggled to find volunteer opportunities in their area. The lack of a centralized volunteer resource office frustrated student organizations looking for a way to help out as a group.

Sociology senior Ben Salmon saw the need for a place where students could go to find volunteer opportunities that would fit the goals and needs of their respective organizations. “I just knew that if volunteering was made easier, then even more people would do it,” says Salmon, coordinator and creator of the Volunteer Resource Center. The idea for the student-staffed center emerged in April 2002, and a short five months later the VRC was fully functional.

“I couldn’t be more excited by how much they have accomplished in this first month,” says Gerry Muir, associate dean of Student Life . “I’m eager to see how it’s going to develop throughout the semester.”

The VRC not only provides life-changing opportunities, but also, by being student-staffed, offers a place where students can showcase their leadership skills. Three assistant coordinators and 12 volunteers work alongside Salmon to keep the VRC running 30 hours weekly. “It gives the students leadership experience where they can go from being personally involved to inspiring others,” Muir says. “It gives them an experience in terms of managing and running an office, and also it lets them invest in the community.”

The VRC’s main purpose is to serve as a clearinghouse of on- and off-campus volunteer organizations for students, faculty, and staff. “We categorize our volunteer opportunities to fit certain criteria and then we sit down with the students and ask them what their goals are,” Muir says. “We’re a referral service. We refer students and tell the agency about them.” The VRC has worked with organizations including New Jersey Cares, Habitat for Humanity, and the Make a Wish Foundation. It also encourages the formation and networking of campus volunteer organizations—providing a forum for discussion and sharing of information. It provides training for executive board members of volunteer clubs in areas such as fund-raising and recruitment and aims to create a record of individuals who volunteer on and off campus to give them recognition.

“Other small colleges and universities struggle to have a Volunteer Resource Center because they feel like it’s an extra and not a mandatory need,” Muir says. “I think President Bush’s new focus on volunteering is going to push this to the forefront. In terms of the opportunities it provides for experiential learning and personal development, it makes them a need in every campus. And it can happen if students make it happen.”

Contact Dean Gerry Muir at gmuir@drew.edu or 973-408-3391,
or visit the VRC at http://depts.drew.edu/care.

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