The start of the academic year welcomed 229 Bradley student volunteers in the Peoria community, marking 2015 as the largest group of volunteers in SERVE’s history.
The Welcome Week Service Project (WWSP) is a service event that connects students with various volunteer opportunities at the beginning of the academic year.
Junior business management major Kayla Diaz said her experience beautifying a children’s home in Peoria was one of the most rewarding opportunities in her life.
“The organizations that we volunteer at have such a great influence on the Peoria area,” Diaz said. “I love making contributions to the community to make it stronger as a whole.”
SERVE, the organization that sponsors and facilitate the WWSP, planned for a maximum number of students, but this year saw a dramatic rise in numbers.
“The most rewarding part of being involved with the Welcome Week Service Project was seeing the amount of people that were able to go out and volunteer their time doing great things for the community and starting off this school year on the right foot,” junior English education major and SERVE member Molly Brantingham said.
However, the volunteering doesn’t stop there. The WWSP is only a portion of the organization’s Service on Saturday program. During Service on Saturday, student volunteers visited multiple nonprofits for the day, with transportation and meals provided.
“It was an awesome way to meet new people, but also give back to our community,” Diaz said. “You will definitely see me at the next Service on Saturday.”
