JUMPSTARTing My Way to College

One of my most memorable moments of freshman year at Ithaca College was being a participant of the Jumpstart program that is offered through the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs.

The program, offered for incoming freshmen, allows for students to arrive a week early to campus, settle into their housing assignments, and participate in one of four activity tracks over the course of three days. These tracks, which are designed to help freshmen transition to life at college, provide participants with various activities and exercises revolving around their selected theme. The tracks are Lead-In, ECHO, The GREEN Tour, and Community Plunge.

I decided to join the Community Plunge program because it combines my love for helping others, meeting new people, and exploring a new community.

The girls of my Community Plunge group

One of the many activities through Community Plunge included helping with the local State Theater renovations. Here, my group and I organized the box office, re-painted the stage area, and cleaned up the basement. We then proceeded outside and weeded the alleyways and even managed to work together to paint a large fire escape. That was hard work! 

Here I am sweeping the basement of the State Theater

While standing outside under the blazing hot sun and then bending over to pull out the weeds, I learned that even the smallest and most mundane tasks are a big help to the community. Not only that, but I came to realize that uneventful tasks, such as cleaning and sweeping, can be a whole lot of fun with a group of friends. Tasks undertaken at the State Theater allowed me to appreciate the need to clean, reorganize, and paint because those actions become the stepping stone to a productive and hard-working day.

Another location my group served is the Finger Lakes ReUse Center. The ReUse Center takes used, donated items and refurbishes them to resell to the community. It acts as a thrift store for many pieces of unwanted furniture, hardware, and appliances for many residents of the community. Here, our duty as a team was to sort the store's heaping pile of donated items and then organize them by category so we can help the employees price the items for sale. 

My group working hard at painting the fire escape

Although the tasks of the ReUse Center required us to be tedious, organized, and patient, I learned the true meaning of team work. Since we had to work together to sort items and price them, we got to learn about each others' preferences, interests, and background. Needless to say, it was here that I truly felt we connected and started to adapt to the Ithaca community. We discussed our previous experiences, high school memories, and the excitement of starting our journey as class of 2017 at IC. 

During our time in-between activities and group lunches with the other Community Plunge teams, we got to meet other people and connect with them as well. I would often talk to those around me when many of the teams waited together for the bus that would transport us back to campus. As a result, I was surprised to learn that the Community Plunge program sent so many students to a plethora of locations around town, including local elementary schools and public sites like the library. 

I am happy to have participated in the Jumpstart program because it has allowed me to connect with a diverse group of people and has given me the ability to explore the Ithaca community. Today, I still keep in close contact with those whom I have met through Jumpstart, whether they were a part of my team or not. Community Plunge has helped me meet the people I call my best friends, all of them who were on a different team than I. 

My Community Plunge group after a day's work at the State Theater 

Photo credits: All of the photos are my own and the quote is through http://messages.365greetings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/teamwork-quotes-image.jpg

Help Yourself...with Healthy Volunteering?

April has arrived, and so has Spring here in Ithaca. The sun is shining and the cold chill of winter has disappeared (hopefully) for good! As you continue to give back to those in need, I encourage you to stop every once in a while and take care of yourself socially, emotionally, and physically. So here are some tips that allow you to be active and enjoy the weather while volunteering and staying healthy!

Tip #1 - Volunteer outside: After spending all winter volunteering at shelters and local places indoors, why not divert towards community outreach programs that are located outdoors? Spring is the perfect time to help out at fundraisers for local charities and organizations; for, there are many outdoor fundraisers which allow you to have fun while raising money. Often, Spring fundraisers include holding car washes or participating in runs/walks for charity. Relay for Life, for instance, is an event held outdoors for 12- to 24-hours through work or school. All proceeds go towards the American Cancer Society. Grab a team and go walk!

Tip #2 - Sign up for a 5K Run/Walk: Too busy to become a participant of Relay for Life? Join a run/walk for a shorter period of time by signing up for a 5K! There are many 5K events in several major cities, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City. Not only that, but 5K runs are sure to be a blast if you team up with friends. Many 5Ks benefit a local organization, registration fees are fairly cheap, and almost all of them have a theme, such as the Color Run, Mud Run, and Krispy Kreme Challenge. Which 5K will you choose?

Tip #3 - Coach a little league: For those who like interaction rather than just a simple fundraiser, try out coaching. Most sports organizations have an outdoor league in which they are always searching for young coaches, especially for little league teams. Sports, like basketball, soccer, and baseball, often have summer leagues and outdoor club teams no matter what age group. If you have a favorite sport you love and enjoy interacting with little children, coaching an outdoor sports league is the perfect activity -- this is a good way to perform community outreach while participating in a sport of your interest.

Tip #4 - Outdoor chores: One of the best ways to help out and get some sun is to perform chores that are outdoors, for example, mowing the lawn. Neighbors who lack the ability to perform these common outdoor housekeeping often rely on professionals who come on a regular basis; however, you can reach out to them and offer your services for free. Now, no one enjoys performing chores, but think of it as a community outreach service. Volunteering to complete a neighbor's chores allow you to not only get some Vitamin D, but also to interact with your neighbors and meet new people. Tasks to consider are mowing the lawn, gardening, and trimming the trees. 

Photo credit: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c2/aa/6a/c2aa6a1517633a5f948c3b9bf5d810b3.jpg