By Jamil Oakford/editor-in-chief
TR Campus will hold a community Service Fair for students noon-2 p.m. Feb. 18-19 on TRTR Main Street.
This fair gives students the opportunity to see how many community service options are available to them throughout the county.
“We have 15 different vendors,” student development associate Elena Walker said.
Tarrant Area Food Bank, Volunteer Center of North Texas, the Botanical Research Institute, Meals on Wheels and JPS Health Network are just a few of the expected participants.
Walker organizes this fair every semester and finds that students can benefit greatly from service learning.
“The main reason is because of the networking,” she said. “It can also bring about career exploration.”
Many students may not know what field of work they’re interested in until they get practical experience doing it. Walker believes this is how service learning helps with that exploration.
“The networking can turn into an internship down the line,” she said.
Tarrant Area Food Bank director of volunteer services Linda Smith feels volunteer work helps remind people they’re members of the community.
“You have food on your plate, a place to call home, but that’s not the case for everyone,” Smith said. “There are plenty of causes out there for people who don’t have those things.”
The amount of opportunities for volunteers is there.
“One of 6 people in the counties we serve are relying on hunger-relief services,” she said.
For more information, contact Walker at 817-515-1194.
