Serve On! Volunteer opportunities at USC

By Danielle Collins ‘20

With a new semester comes new opportunities for service. Last semester I shared some volunteer opportunities around LA, so this semester I wanted to share some great service orgs right here on campus. Check them out!

Room to Read

• Pitch from RTR President, Christina Higa: “Room to Read USC is a student-run club that provides volunteer opportunities for members to tutor and mentor children K-5 at after school programs in the USC area (John Mack Elementary School and Adventures Ahead). If you’re looking for a fun and flexible way to get involved with the local community, stop by our general info session!”
  
• How to join: There is no application to be a part of Room to Read— just go to the first meeting to find out more about the club! The first meeting is Tuesday, January 23rd at 8pm in THH 112.  Like them on Facebook to stay in the know.
  
• Time commitment: Room to Read volunteers spend an average of 1 hour a week volunteering. Times are very flexible so students can choose when they want to volunteer. Students are encouraged to attend biweekly meetings and participate in fundraising for the global organization.
  

Joint Educational Project (JEP)

• Pitch from JEP Program Assistant Coordinator, Laina Turner-Ryke: “Joint Educational Project (JEP) is a service learning experience which enables USC students to take what they are learning in their USC classrooms, and get the opportunity to teach young students in local K-12 schools that JEP partners with. Our program is much more than just community service, it’s a way for USC students to give back to the community, but learn from it as well. It is a very rewarding experience in the sense of working with young kids in the community and getting to know where you are living for the next four years of your life. As a USC student, we get stuck on campus throughout our time here, where this allows us to break through that bubble and grasp a better understanding of the community that surrounds us. I absolutely love JEP and have enjoyed working here for the past three years, I would definitely encourage everyone to sign up or stop by to learn how to get involved.”
  
• How to sign up: The deadline to sign up for JEP is Friday, January 19th at 4:30pm. To sign up, visit the JEP house at the corner of Trousdale and 34th street (behind Taper Hall).
  
• Time commitment: The average time commitment for JEP is 2 hours a week for 8 weeks, but can vary based on the program students participate in.

Volunteer Center

• Pitch from Program Coordinator, Judy Sandoval: “The Volunteer Center coordinates service programs and promotes volunteer opportunities in and out of USC. We foster service through our Friends & Neighbors Day and Alternative Break programs that are student-run and student-led. Students should get involved to feel connected, to empower and help others, to practice new skills, and to discover their passion and purpose. Through service students participate in a community of people passionately driven by the desire to make the world a better place.”
  
• How to get involved: “This semester students can get involved at our Friends & Neighbors Day (FND) events on January 27th and February 24^th. During these days of service, hundreds of students go out in teams of 10-25 to community partner organizations around Los Angeles, helping with projects such as education, donation sorting, animal advocacy, and community gardening, among others.” —Judy Sandoval
  
• Time commitment: Friends & Neighbors Days last about 4 hours on a few Saturdays throughout the semester.

Student Service Assembly (SSA)

• General info (via Facebook): “Service Student Assembly is the unifying body that brings together community service-oriented organizations at USC. SSA assembles the various organizations, provides a forum to discuss ideas, helps recruit volunteers, assists in marketing activities or projects, provides resources to obtain funding, organizes activities, and further incorporates community service into each member organization.”
  
• How to sign up: Visit SSA’s Facebook page to sign up for events that you’d like to attend.
  
• Time commitment: Timing varies depending on what events you sign up to attend, and how frequently you attend events.

Homelessness Action Committee

• General info (via Facebook): “The Homelessness Action Committee was founded as part of USC’s Initiative to End Homelessness. HAC puts together Homelessness Awareness Week to educate, empower, and join the fight to end homelessness. We also provide volunteer opportunities for students and orchestrate service days.”
  
• How to sign up: Like them on Facebook to find out about meetings and volunteer opportunities.
• Time commitment: Timing varies depending on what events you sign up to attend, and how frequently you attend events.

For more service opportunities, visit this link to see USC Campus Activities’ list of service clubs. There’s a perfect way for everyone to get involved with service if you’re willing to dedicate a little bit of your time. Don’t wait—get involved with service this semester!

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