There are plenty of ways to be a part of the Oswego community! Living in Johnson Hall prepared me to be involved on campus. Ever since freshmen year, I have tried to make an impact on the community. Below, you will find a list of opportunities to get you involved!
Permaculture (between Lee Hall and Shineman) –
I volunteered for the permaculture on campus. A campus environmental development community service opportunity, created and led by Grace Maxon—in which we were given the opportunity to harvest a fruits and vegetable garden. This event was a hard but rewarding experience. We had to dig, fertilize, and plant to make this happen.
Alternative Spring Break (Habitat for Humanity)-
SUNY Oswego Habitat for Humanity offers volunteer opportunity during winter, spring, and summer breaks. There are numerous locations and different reasonings you go where you go. You are given the opportunity to choose the location with a small fee which covers food, gas, and housing. Some locations range year to year. This summer there was one for Puerto Rico. When I went, I went to Iowa to build a home for a well deserving family. We were only there for a few days during Spring break, but we were able to create all the walls, demolish the old home, and learned to use power tools. Within those five days, we were able to explore different states since it took 18 hours to drive there from Oswego. On the trip, I was able to go to Chicago for the first time and eat real deep dish pizza at the famous “UNO” restaurant.
Red Carpet Crew-
The Red carpet crew is a service that allows upperclassmen to assist resident halls to move in incoming students or returning students. The first day back to school is usually a hectic one, which is why this is such a great opportunity to relieve stress for students, families, and staff. Most students do this because they are able to come back to campus a few days earlier to have everything settled before everyone else comes to campus, while also providing great service to campus.
Mentor Oswego-
Mentor Oswego is a program where college students go to a middle or high school in the Oswego community. Here you are able to reach out to the youth and talk about your experience and answer any questions they may have. When I did it, my job was to get to know a group of students who were having attendance issues and figure out ways to ensure 100% attendance. As a group, we played games, ate lunch, and talked about ourselves and our future aspirations. It was very enjoyable getting to know the kids from the community and build relationships with others.
Overall, I was happy to help and loved the experience of meeting new people. These are just a few community service opportunities available. There are much more and there can never be enough help!