LIVE UNITED Y’All!

By Sommer Lally

What is a volunteer?

Is it the person who picks up trash on the side of the road for a few hours?  Someone who takes their time to paint a room at a local non-profit organization?  Is it a University of Tennessee sports team?

Yes and no. 

You see, all of those are examples of volunteers, but the word “volunteer” means more than we often picture in our minds. 

Here, I’ll give you an example.  As part of my job at Metro United Way, I manage our Student United Ways (campus chapters through which student leaders advance the common good, develop leadership skills and join the growing Live United movement).  Working with the student leaders at U of L and IUS is a wonderful experience.  I get to help them grow in their roles with the organizations and watch them gain a deeper knowledge of the community.  But I also witness their struggles and frustrations.

Both Student United Ways underwent the tedious process of becoming registered student organizations on their campuses this year.  The initial stages of establishing the groups took time.  As a result neither were able to organize as many events and activities as they had hoped. 

What does this have to do with volunteers?  Hang on!  You’re about to find out!

U of L Student United Way leaders volunteering with Blanket Louisville.

In a recent conversation with one of my student leaders she lamented “we haven’t really gotten to do much volunteering and that was the whole reason I wanted to join!”  Do you see what I’m getting at?

Volunteers aren’t just those who give of their time to do hands-on projects!  They’re also board members, committee members and . . . student leaders.  In my view, my student leader had been volunteering all year long through her leadership position with Student United Way.  Don’t get me wrong – I’ll help them plan more volunteer projects next year, but I also want them to feel good about their volunteer role with us and to know how appreciated they are!

So, to our Board members, committee members and Student United Way leaders, thank you for volunteering with Metro United Way.  You are so important to us and we are better because of you!

General, Volunteering Community, IUS, Live United, Student United Way, UofL

It’s funny how sometimes the things in life that go completely wrong are the things that lead you to exactly where you’re meant to be. That’s how it came about that I am Campus Engagement intern and part-time Loaned Executive at Metro United Way. It’s also how I came to be Sommer’s guest blogger today. My name is Rebecca Hall and I am a senior Communication student at the University of Louisville.

An interview gone badly in the field I intended to go into after college led me to rethink my dreams of becoming a journalist.  I was pretty sure the interview was an omen nudging me to change my course, but what direction was I supposed to turn now? While contemplating this I had one of those “Ah-ha!” moments that change the course of your life. The reason I was drawn to journalism was that I saw writing as an avenue for bringing to light social problems and injustices. I saw it as a way to inspire change and make a difference in peoples’ lives. It had never occurred to me until then that I could do more than just write an occasional inspiring article; I could work on the front-lines of solving community issues and really have an impact! That’s when I visited Metro United Way’s website and discovered that the three building blocks to a good life, education, income and health, were exactly the areas I wanted to pursue to enact change. A few emails, interviews and training later, here I am.

As Campus Engagement intern, I have the exciting challenge of helping to launch Student United Way at area colleges. Student United Way is a student-run organization that inspires college students to give, advocate and volunteer in the areas of education, income and health. We want to find out what issues are important to students. Do you feel strongly about providing educational opportunities to children in low-income areas? Do you want to make students aware of the benefits of certain health practices? We want to provide students an opportunity to be leaders on their campuses and leaders in their community. We also want to connect service-minded students to each other. What talents and skills can you bring to Student United Way that will benefit the common good? We want to inspire area college students to Live United.

A Student United Way group is already underway at Indiana University Southeast and my main focus will be to engage students at U of L. Our goal is to eventually have student leaders from all area colleges working together to give, advocate and volunteer. We hope you will join and support the Student United Way movement!

Interested in helping us start at Student United Way on your campus or know a local college student who would be a good student leader?  Contact me at rebeeca-dot-hall-at-metrounitedway-dot-org or call 502.292.6185 for more information. 

General Student United Way