Volunteer Opportunities for USC Students

photo credit: USC Today and Volunteer Center Newsletter

by Emily Quintanilla ‘24

When volunteering you have the opportunity to empower and improve communities, meet new people, discover new causes and passions, and much more. In a city as big as Los Angeles, there’s always events where you can lend a hand, and there are tons of organizations to work with on a regular basis. However, with all of these options, it can be overwhelming to start a volunteer search, especially with a busy student schedule.  My suggestion is to start finding opportunities right here on-campus. 

USC Volunteer Center

At USC, the best place to start would be the Volunteer Center. As a part of Campus Activities, the Volunteer Center hosts programs throughout the school year to connect students with a diverse array of local service projects in an effort “to empower students to be leaders of social change during their time at USC and beyond.” 

One of their most popular events is Friends & Neighbors Day. One day every month, the Volunteer Center partners with non-profit organizations for Friends & Neighbors Day to offer students a glimpse at the work they can do for the community. In the past, participants have spent this day of service helping projects in the greater Los Angeles area – like beach clean-ups in Santa Monica, beautification projects at SOLA Community Peace Center, and tutoring with Jumpstart – and projects on campus – including assembling hygiene kits for the Trojan Food Pantry and making dog and cat toys to donate to local animal shelters. Friends and Neighbors Day is a great start for students to find one-off service projects. You can take part in projects relating to the environment, education, food insecurity, and more, while collaborating with familiar USC students, staff, faculty, and alumni.

While Friends & Neighbors Day is a popular program, the Volunteer Center’s offering goes far past this one event. The Trojans Serve program offers more projects in the fall and spring semesters for students to get involved (usually, there are an additional 2-3 projects per month). 

Beyond hosting events, the Volunteer Center advertises opportunities for students to volunteer on their own time via their newsletter and Instagram. You can also view their events calendar here. 

Student Basic Needs

If you’re looking for on-campus volunteer opportunities, consider volunteering with Student Basic Needs. The Student Basic Needs department at USC offers resources to ensure student well-being on campus. The department works to eliminate food, housing, and economic barriers for students. 

Student Basic Needs operates in part with the help of student volunteers. One way to get involved is through the Trojan Food Pantry, a pop up food pantry located in TCC for students who are struggling with food insecurity. The Trojan Food Pantry is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1:30-4:30 p.m. during the Spring 2024 semester. If you’re interested in volunteering, check out the Student Basic Needs’s Instagram for more information. 

Service-Based Organizations

If you’re still unsure about where to start your volunteer journey, my suggestion would be to join a service-based organization. In Fall 2023, I joined the USC Helenes, one of the oldest service organizations at USC. At the time, I wanted to start giving back to the USC and LA community, and Helenes caught my attention because their service pillar aligned with my goals. As someone who loves working with children, I loved the fact that Helenes help run youth engagement programs in the South Central community. Through Helenes, I am able to volunteer with these programs and even learn about other causes to get involved in through the organization's members. 

There are hundreds of student organizations who offer similar opportunities. You just have to find one that fits your interests! You can search for service-focused clubs on engageSC, at the once-a-semester Involvement Fair, or via Instagram search (which is where I would start since most active clubs on campus use Instagram to post upcoming events and member spotlights. It’s easy to DM the organization and ask questions!) 

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