TR to sponsor fair of opportunities to aid community

By— Audrey Werth

Community organizations are coming to TR Campus Oct. 7-8 to get students involved as volunteers.

TR student development associate Elena Walker said several new organizations will be at the service fair.

“Twenty agencies are currently registered to attend,” she said. “This is an increase from the 14 that attended last spring.”

Meals on Wheels, Volunteer Now, The Women’s Center and Reading Partners will be among the organizations in attendance.

“The service fair is a good, convenient way to find out about volunteer opportunities in the community,” she said. “It’s also a good way to network with organizations. For some students, it could become an internship or employment opportunity.”

For many of the nonprofits, getting people to sign up is not as important as finding a few dedicated volunteers, Walker said.

“For the hospice agency, their focus is not on getting the most people involved,” she said. “But they want to ensure that the people they do get genuinely do want to volunteer.”

Walker said it is important that students, even if they have not volunteered or are unsure they want to, speak with agencies to find out what they have to offer.

“Having volunteer experience is good because it will look good on a resume and you get experience working in the community,” she said. “It’s a good way to promote and market yourself as a student and to open yourself up to more opportunities in the future.”

The service fair will be 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 7-8 on TRTR Main Street. For more information, contact Walker at elena.walker@tccd.edu.