When I began my college search I knew that a small school would be able to offer me many options as far as both student leadership and service opportunities. It is so easy to dream about solving problems of global proportions that it causes us to lose sight of what is surrounding us in our everyday lives In order to even begin solving problems such as worldwide hunger or homelessness, we must first recognize the issues in our own community. Tacoma is an amazing city for community service and there are tons of ways to get involved not only with the direct campus community but also with the local community outside of campus.

The first volunteering opportunity that I decided to embark on was through the Kids Can Do! Mentoring program, which matches University of Puget Sound students with local Tacoma youth. Mentors typically spend a minimum of five hours with their mentees, who range in age from 7-14. My mentee was a 12-year-old girl, and over the past year and a half mentoring her has been a challenging but positive experience. It has also given me access to the community and knowledge about parts of the Tacoma community that I would have never experienced had I not become involved in this program. Another way in which I have become involved with the Tacoma youth community has been through a volunteer coaching position at a local high school. I spent the spring semester helping to coach a high school throwing team. It was another amazing and exciting experience, as well as another way to get hands-on experience in the community.

The other area that I have been fortunate to become involved with is with the homeless population in downtown Tacoma. I spent the year as the student coordinator of the Food Salvage program here on campus. Food Salvage is a small group of student volunteers who dedicate one to two hours each week packing prepared but unserved food from the campus cafeteria and then delivering it to one of three local homeless shelters. This program requires very little time commitment yet has an immediate and clear outcome within the community. Through Food Salvage connections I have been able to volunteer with Keep Them Warm and Fed (a very small group of volunteers who go downtown and serve needy community members), The Hospitality Kitchen, Emergency Food Network, and many other service groups.

Community service is certainly not the only way to become involved in the campus or local community. Because of the small size of the campus I have had an easy time becoming involved in a variety of other activities, such as intramural sports and different campus clubs.  The University of Puget Sound has given me a chance to continue the community service that has always been such an important part of my life. It’s a great environment because the majority of the student population participates in service and Tacoma is an ideal place to get involved!