²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëùdents Connect with the Community Through ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares Day of Action
This year's ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares Day of Action provided ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëùdents with a meaningful opportunity to connect with the community and gain hands-on experience.
Participating ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëùdents spent the day volunteering at , , , , and .
Fredericton Community Kitchens - Yen Phuong Thai
Yen Phuong Thai, a third-year ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëùdent from Vietnam, spent the day volunteering at the Fredericton Community Kitchens, helping prepare meals for those facing food insecurity.
"Being a part of the kitchen for the day was incredibly fulfilling. From preparing meals to serving those in need, I've had the chance to see firsthand how essential this service is to the community," said Yen Phuong.
"Through this experience, I was challenged to step outside of my comfort zone; I've gained practical skills in leadership, teamwork and communication, as well as a deeper understanding of the challenges some people face daily.”
Through ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares, Yen Phuong was able to build meaningful relationships and gain skills that cannot be taught in a classroom.
"²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares provides a unique opportunity to address important social issues and meet students with the same goals and interests. I'm looking forward to volunteering with ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares again next year."
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fredericton & Oromocto - Claire Morton
Claire Morton, a first-year ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëùdent from Windsor, Nova Scotia, volunteered her time at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fredericton and Oromocto end-of-summer community BBQ, where she worked with children who need a solidified support system.
"This experience allowed me to connect one-on-one with children, ensure they had a fun day, and make them feel heard. It was one of the best opportunities I've had to give back to the broader community beyond ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù," said Morton.
"Getting involved through ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares teaches you more than a classroom could. Simple acts of kindness can mean a lot to the people we encounter while volunteering."
Hayes Farm - Montserrat Duron
Montserrat Duron, a fourth-year ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëùdent from Honduras, was one of the students volunteering at Hayes Farm, helping prepare the crops on the community farm for the winter. Duron had the opportunity to meet the people of Fredericton outside of ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù, creating social connections and aiding in personal growth.
"Volunteering is always rewarding, Through ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares, you get to learn something new, gain experience and make a difference in your community," said Duron.
"Exploring something new through ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares was very fulfilling and helped me appreciate other people's day-to-day lives."
About ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares
²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares Day of Action is organized by ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù's Office of Experiential Learning and Career Development and is supported by the . The annual event helps foster a relationship between learning and volunteering, and many of our event partners offer the chance to continue volunteering in a more consistent capacity.
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Volunteering at ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù Cares also counts as hours towards the community engagement portion of ²»Á¼Ñо¿Ëù's Certificate in Experiential Learning & Community Engagement. The Certificate provides tangible evidence of the hands-on learning and community service, which can be used to demonstrate community involvement to potential employers or for graduate school applications.