'Project Serve' helps U of G students stay connected while giving back to the community
Students enrolled at the University of Guelph are connecting with the community through short-term volunteering opportunities made possible through Project Serve.
The school-based program allows students to volunteer with local organizations that could use the help.
“We reach out to anyone in the community that is looking for extra hands and then we offer an opportunity to our students to leave the campus, come out, volunteer across Guelph-Wellington and give back to their community,” Helen Keen, University of Guelph local engagement coordinator said.
Project Serve’s single day events used to involve upwards of 300 people per year before the pandemic forced the program to break into smaller groups.
On Saturday, 15 students met at Priory Park Baptist Church to help clean the community garden as the growing season comes to an end.
“Our students are really excited to be working with their hands,” Keen said. “It’s currently mid term season at the university. So a lot of students are taking this as a break from studying, get outside and give back to the community.”
The student volunteers created compost piles that can be used next year, transferred strawberries to raised beds and prepared the orchard for the winter months.
“This is work that needs to be done and it’s very rewarding to help the community and to come back and see the things that grow after we’ve helped here,” Bee Keyes, a third year student said.
Project Serve has been around for more than 20 years with hundreds of students taking part.
For more information visit the Community Engagement Opportunities page on the University of Guelph website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing A bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.