About 40 volunteer and nonprofit organizations will set up on the Reitz Union Colonnade today in hopes of attracting UF students looking to serve the community.
The UF Center for Leadership and Service’s Fall Volunteer Organization Fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The event is designed to provide groups with a venue where they can distribute information about their projects and offer students ways to volunteer, according to the center’s website.
Organizations in attendance will include March of Dimes, Partnership for Strong Families, St. Francis House, Civic Media Center and UF Office of Sustainability, said Tracey Reeves, director of the Center for Leadership and Service.
The center hopes the fair will raise awareness of volunteer opportunities and help people learn about social issues in the Gainesville and Alachua County communities, Reeves said. She said she expects about 500 students to stop by.
“They’ll learn a little more about life beyond campus in Gainesville,” she said. “It opens their eyes to, ‘Oh, hey, there’s more out there than just UF.’”
Chemistry freshman Rachel Powell, 18, said she plans to attend today’s fair. She volunteered in high school frequently and wants to continue.
“It’s hard because, Lord knows, I can’t be in all of them,” she said.
