4 Ways to change your life beyond volunteering

Throughout the 21 years of my life I have seen first-hand how giving back has made a positive impact on my own life. Often times people think of volunteering as donating their time to help those around them. This is true, however I often think people overlook some of the simpliest ways to give back.

As my social media blog assignment comes to an end, I wanted to share with you some simple things you can do to give back, while making a difference in your life and those around you.

1. Spend time with your aging grandparents 

I've personally always been lucky enough to have a close-knit relationship with my grandparents. One of the hardest parts about moving 2.5 hours away when coming to college was not being able to spend as much time with my grandpa. Whether its calling, writing letters or visiting, find a way to stay in touch with your grandparents. The time you have with them is precious and you'll be thankful for all the memories in the future.

2. Tell your family and friends how much they mean to you.

You truly don't know what tomorrow will bring. Losing my mom at the age of 11, I have seen first-hand how true this statement can be. The reality of life is that we are constantly faced with circumstances and battles that can often turn our lives upside down. Don't wait for a tragedy to tell your family and friends you love them. Live each day like it's your last and spend time with those you love. You'll  be surprised how such a simple and small change can make such a large impact in your life.

3. Find your passion and go for it!

My passion is my involvement with Relay For Life and raising money for the American Cancer Society. I've found so much reward in the work I do reaching out to make a difference in cancer survivors and their caregivers because I've been directly impacted by cancer. Everyone's passion is different, but once you pursue your own passion you should see a great impact on your own life as well as those around you!

4. Get to know before you judge.

Everyone has a story. Everyone has a past. You don't know a person's story or past by looking at them on the outside. Moral of the story: don't judge a person without getting to know them. The transition from high school to college was an eye opening experience realizing so many of the people around me had been through difficult experiences in the past. Be nice to those around you; you never the battles they may be hiding behind that smile.

You can't expect to see immediate results when making changes in your life. Give it time, however and the reward will come along with it. Volunteering, giving back and giving up your time isn't always easy, but the reward will almost always be worth it.

Do your part to make a positive impact on the world and help make a difference today!

Volunteer Tuesdays

Mondays...the day people dread going back to reality and a phase of slight depression because the weekend is over.
Tuesdays...they don't seem quote as bad as Mondays, but certainly not as exciting as Fridays.
Wednesdays...hump day! You made it half-way through the week!
Thursdays...IT'S ALMOST THE WEEKEND!
Fridays...you thought the day would never come, but at least it's the weekend!

Tuesdays are actually more than just another day at UNI's campus. Every Tuesday, the Service and Leadership Council partners with the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, providing opportunities for students to get involved volunteering throughout the community. These Volunteer Tuesday events allow students a pre-set volunteer experience each week including free transportation, a t-shirt and a snack.

Volunteer Tuesdays were established on UNI's campus 5 years ago when students requested opportunities for hands-on leadership experiences. The thought of gaining leadership skills from lectures and workshops simply didn't sound appealing, and Volunteer Tuesdays have proved to give students the opportunities they were hoping to receive.


Students are allowed to choose from two sessions (3:30-5:30 p.m. or 5:30-7:30 p.m.) to volunteer every Tuesday. On average 30-45 students volunteer every at every week, where they participate in a variety of community activities including:

- Making crafts, playing games and talking with residents in area nursing homes.
- Label mailings and put together "dog tags" at the Grout Museum District's Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum
- Throw out bad bales of hay and help transport good bales into the barn to feed the horses at Aspire Therapeutic Riding Program.
- Package meals for low-income families so children have food at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

"It's a great way for students to get out in the community and meet other students, oh and have fun!" said Steffoni Schmidt, Volunteer Tuesdays advisor.

Visit the Volunteer Tuesday website to learn more about how you can sign up, gain leadership experience and help out in the Cedar Valley today!

Generosity: More than giving money

Why do you give? What do you give? How can you benefit from giving without any money? The idea of giving sounds scary and unrealistic to some college students. Many may think "I'm a broke college student, how am I supposed to give money when I don't even have enough to pay next month's rent?" I'm here to tell you giving is much more than just money.

Here are just a few ways to give back to others without spending a dime.

UNI students volunteering at the local food bank. 

Give your time 

Time is often just as or more valuable than money. Get a group of friends together to help out someone who needs it every week. Your time is truly a gift and people will appreciate you sharing it!

Share your talent 

Love art? Volunteer to do crafts with elderly residents at your local nursing home.  Love to cook? Volunteer to cook dinner for a family going through a rough time in your community. Maybe you are a talented musician and could host a free concert in your community. Whatever your talent may be, share it with others and take note of the difference you can make in their lives! 

Organize a fundraiser 

Want to raise money for a particular cause or organization you may be passionate about? You may not have the money to donate yourself, so you don't know where to begin. Plan a bake sale at your local church, organize a 50/50 raffle or partner with a local business; there are numerous ways to fundraise without donating the money out of your pocket. 

Donate your old items to charity

Generally speaking, college students have too much "stuff." Whether your closet is too crammed with clothes you never wear or you have enough shoes to wear a different pair everyday of the month; take time to get rid of old things and consider donating them to people who are in need. 

Smile

UNI students volunteer at local food bank. 

It's simple. Smile. You may be surprised how much you could be giving to someone who's having a bad day by simply smiling and spreading a positive attitude to them! 

Open your eyes to opportunity 

If you don't believe there's ways to 'give' without money, you likely won't see the impact or benefit when doing any of these things. Open your eyes to the opportunities that are put in front of you, before you know it you'll be giving more than you even thought possible. 

The generosity of giving goes above and beyond monetary donations. Once you take the time to give back to others, make sure to notice how you're making a difference in both their life and your own life!



Photo credit: Shannon Duffy and Jess Sandy 

UNI students 'Paint the Town Red'

You don't have to look far to find the hard work UNI students put forth to give back. The Public Relations: Special Events class is a perfect example. A first-time, experimental class at UNI, students were given the task to plan a special event either on campus or in the community. The easy part was deciding the event would benefit people, but the hard part was deciding what group of people or organization it would benefit.

After much discussion, the class decided to plan an event to support the American Heart Association. With a $5,000 goal in mind, students have been working hard to make this a success. The class has been split in two groups planning two events to "Paint the Town Red."

The first event will be held the week of Nov. 9-14 on College Hill in Cedar Falls. By purchasing a $5 wristband, individuals will have access to special deals at participating College Hill Businesses. Some participating businesses include: Beck's, Chad's Pizza and Restaurant, University Book & Supply and Insomnia Cookies. Visit the Facebook page to learn how you can purchase your wristband today!

The second group has been planning "Paint the Town Red" downtown Cedar Falls at Community Main Street. Two levels of punch cards are being sold to make individuals eligible for specific deals at Community Main Street businesses. By purchasing a $25 punch card, you will be eligible for 15 special deals, whereas by purchasing a $35 punch card you will be eligible for deals at all participating businesses. Click here to order your punch card today!

Some businesses taking part in the Main Street event include: Cup of Joe, Here's What's Poppin, Iowa Sports Supply, Kitchen Essentials, LBL, Runner's Flat, Pump Haus, Spotlight Style Boutique and many more. There will also be live music on Main Street from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

All of the money raised from both events will directly benefit the American Heart Association. Give back by helping students at UNI reach their goal and "Paint the Town Red" by purchasing your wristband or punch card today!

5 Reasons to Make A Difference

In a previous blogpost, I discussed the importance of adding volunteer work to your resume. There has to be other reasons to volunteer in college though, right? Yes. There are endless reasons to spend your time giving back, but I'm here to tell you what I believe are five of the most important reasons you should take time to help others. 

1. Reduce Stress

Every college student knows the feeling of being loaded down with endless projects, papers and material to study. Learning how to manage your stress level is difficult for many people in college. Whether you take a break from your studies to volunteer for an hour at a Volunteer Tuesday event or you go out of your way to talk to a classmate who seems lonely, you may be surprised how much you could reduce the stress from your academics. 

2. When you make someone's day, your day will be made too. 

When you see the smile on someone's face, that smile is a realization that YOU just made a difference in somebody's life. For those of you who have gone out of your way to make a difference in others' lives, I think you'd agree you also make a difference in your own life. Believe it or not, making someone's day just ONCE, will make a powerful impact on your day and your entire life. 

3. Everyone needs a break

The truth is your brain needs a break every once in awhile. No matter how busy you are, it's important to take a break from your studies. This break could be an hour, a day, or maybe a week such as spring break, but no matter what finding a place to volunteer or help others is the perfect thing to do when you need a break from your studies. 

4. The reward will be greater than the risk. 

Think you found a neat volunteer opportunity, but you're nervous to pursue it alone? Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to amazing experiences. You may meet some new friends or possibly find your true calling, but either way it's worth the risk to make a difference in the life of someone who needs it. 

5. It's just the right thing to do. 

We have been lucky enough to be born and raised in a place where we are fortunate to have more than we need. Unfortunately, not everyone is as fortunate as we are. It's our job to take a stand and do what's right. Volunteer for a nonprofit organization, help a friend or help a stranger; whatever you do, you are MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 

Serving others on Spring break

Nearly all students look forward to spring break, a time to give their mind a break from studying and school work. Although each UNI student is given the same week off from class, each individual spends their week doing something different. Stereotypically, many people think of college students to go on week-long tropical vacations with friends. One might be surprised, however how many students spend their spring break serving others.

There are endless opportunities to serve others on spring break. Here you can learn about the phenomenal experiences a few UNI students have had and why they recommend other students to take advantage of these opportunities.

Students Today, Leaders Forever (STLF), a UNI student organization offers students a Pay it Forward trip, travelling to multiple cities, serving others all across the country. From St. Louis, Missouri to San Antonio, Texas the group assists at a variety of museums and churches painting, remodeling, and volunteering to serve others in numerous ways.

“The most rewarding part was seeing the look on people’s faces when they discovered we were college students who voluntarily decided to spend their spring break helping those in need. I loved meeting people who were willing to give up their own time and money to help people less fortunate than them,” said Brittney England, 2015 STLF Pay it Forward tour.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC), offers opportunities for students to travel abroad, serving others in other countries. Last year a group of students travelled to Kingston, Jamaica where they spent most of their time at the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf. “Experiencing both the Jamaican culture, as well as the deaf culture were truly eye-opening experiences,” said Lisa Daringer. “The most rewarding part for me was being able to see God’s love in all of the children, as well as the team members I travelled with.”

Many of the group’s afternoons were spent playing with the younger kids, while using sign language and other communication techniques to assist the older kids. “Although it took me weeks to decide if this trip was something I wanted to pursue, I couldn’t be happier about my decision. It allowed me to form relationships that will last the rest of my life and expose me to a side of the world I could never have experienced on my own,” said Daringer.

How will you spend your next spring break? If you have the opportunity to serve others, whether it be locally or abroad, take a chance and go for it! After all, you may end up learning more by the people you're serving than you ever imagined.

Making a Difference through Love Your Melon

Love Your Melon (LYM) may be one of UNI’s newer student organizations on campus, but they certainly aren’t the least known. The LYM Crew was officially established at UNI in December of 2014 by the current crew captain, Melissa Miller.

So what exactly does this organization do? LYM is an apparel brand run by colleges students across the country. When apparel is sold, the Crews deliver hats to children in hospitals battling cancer, while also planning Superhero adventures such as helicopter rides, etc.

The UNI Love Your Melon crew focusses their time on not only promoting the LYM brand by selling apparel, but also raising awareness to childhood cancers. They compete against other campus crews on a variety of challenges, all of which benefit children battling cancer.

UNI Love Your Melon campus crew 

Miller explains how not only is it extremely rewarding to place a hat on a child facing a life-threatening illness, but also how this organization has brought her close with so many people at UNI who share the same passion.

"I love LYM because I get to make a positive impact on children's lives in one of the hardest times for both them and their families. It's great to be around people who are all focused on the same mission - improving the lives of children battling cancer & getting rid of cancer once and for all."- Taylor Fox

“Its awesome knowing that one day the work LYM does may find a cure for cancer and change the world." - Rachael Smith

"I want to help raise awareness for this awful disease we call cancer especially when it comes to children. They have a full life ahead of them and I want it to be as healthy as possible!" -Shelby Therme

One of the neat parts about Love Your Melon is that the organization was actually started in an entrepreneurship class by two students at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. This proves to never underestimate the power you, as a college student have to make a difference. When you have an idea, follow it, because after all you never know the impact you could make on the world until you try.

Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much." This
quote is demonstrated by the LYM crew at UNI as they partner with other student organizations, to make a powerful impact in the lives of so many.

To learn more about how you can support Love Your Melon, contact Melissa Miller at midwest@loveyourmelon.com


Photo credit to: Drew Hayes