Service Programs

Volunteering is one of the most beneficial and rewarding experiences a person can have. Whether it is helping community gardens prepare for their planting seasons, helping residents in the community with home improvements, or creating a safe and fun place for children to “trunk-or-treat," there are numerous reasons to volunteer, including:

• Connecting with your community
• Conserving the funds of charities, nonprofits and organizations by donating your time
• Sharing your established skills and acquiring new skills
• Developing self-esteem and self-confidence
• Meeting new people and having new experiences
• Enhancing your resume with transferable experiences and making networking contacts
• Promoting a worthwhile activity, and inspiring others to do the same 

Service Based Organizations

Join a group of fellow students, such as the Students of Service, in working together to better our community. Check out our service based organizations..

Volunteer Fairs

Attend one of the Student Involvement hosted volunteer fairs to learn all about the different ways to get involved in the community. Find additional information for non-profit and community organizations.

MLK Day of Service

Each year the UMSL Community gets together to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and take time to give back to the community.

Trunk-Or-Treat

Join us to provide a safe and fun Trick or Treating event for kids and families. Learn more about the schedule and how to volunteer for Trunk or Treat.

This is a one day service opportunity for UMSL students, staff, and faculty to get together and serve.

Alternative Spring Break

Participate in meaningful service to impact change related to a social issue during a portion of Spring Break. This out-of-town trip provides participants with the opportunity to broaden their understanding of social and systemic issues, critically think of how they can return to impact their own communities, and connect with other students. Details for the 2020 trip coming soon.

UMSL Students of Service coordinates group projects for our monthly program, Service Saturday, as well as special projects that are not part of our standard schedule. Additionally, we disseminate opportunities to students, staff, and faculty who opt into our mailing list. Although we cannot guarantee volunteers, we are happy to promote opportunities. 

We partner with United Way's Volunteer Center to connect students, staff, and faculty to opportunities outside of the university. It is a great tool to find individual or group projects tailored to your interests, from hundreds of local non-profits.

Volunteering as a group can help bring your group closer, build or improve communication skills and foster teamwork. If you are planning a group volunteer project, you may find the following tips helpful:

• Pick a meaningful volunteer experience.
  • Try to pick a project that ties into your organization’s mission or that is meaningful to your group members.
  • Choose an experience that focuses on your strengths, using what your group and its individuals already know and are good at.
  • Focus your group’s volunteer work on one or two specific causes, rather than spreading your members too thin working on numerous causes.
• Prepare for the event.
  
  • Schedule the event with enough time to recruit and coordinate volunteers.
  • Maintain contact with the organization or agency you will be volunteering for and call to confirm approximately one week before the event.
• Reflect on the experience.
  
  • Have your group members discuss and reflect upon how the volunteer experience impacted the agency, the community, your group and themselves.
  • Reflection change