By: Elsa Harvey
Annual Day of Service flier to promote the event. (Credit: Elsa Harvey)
On Friday, Oct. 4, UWGB’s Day of Service kicked off. This event is an opportunity for students and staff to give back to their community. Many events were highlighted on CueGB, a website that organizes all the opportunities for students, staff, and faculty. Both on- and off-campus opportunities were available for volunteers.
Abbi Pflum, who assists with the Day of Service, explained that when Chancellor Michael Alexander started his role at UWGB in 2020, he aimed to make this event an annual tradition to ensure that “We are giving back to the Green Bay community.” The event was hosted by the Student Engagement Center, where they recruit students, staff, faculty members, alumni, and community members. This year they had over 300 participants helping 27 community organizations.
Wyatt Young, the program coordinator for the Day of Service, said, “Some projects that were completed included cleaning up of some community parks and downtown, painting a free little library, and plenty of enrichment toys made for local animals in need of a forever home.” His role includes coordinating with the organizations that want to participate and involves recruiting volunteers.
Many students took part in making enrichment toys for the local animals. Senior Emma Bliskey said, “The most rewarding part of the experience was knowing that my time and effort went toward something that I care about animals.” Senior Ellie VanCamp took part in sorting seeds for the Brown County Seed Library and said, “It’s a great way to give back to a community that continues to welcome students into their city year after year.”
Elizabeth Burger (left) and Ellie VanCamp (right) pose for a picture while sorting seeds for the Brown County Seed Library. (Credit: Elsa Harvey)
The finished packs of sorted seed for the Brown County Seed Library. (Credit: Elsa Harvey)
Although Bliskey and VanCamp were both encouraged to volunteer due to their on-campus jobs, they emphasized the importance of giving back to their community. Bliskey noted, “I appreciated the planning that went into this day. It allowed me to focus my efforts on service and showed me that it is possible to serve the community even on a small scale.” VanCamp added, “It reminded me that volunteering with others can be a way to give back and connect with other students and volunteers.”
Through the Day of Service, students are able to impact the community surrounding the university and connect with community members while making a difference. Pflum reflected on the event, stating, “Volunteering is not only beneficial and valuable to the community being served, but there are also personal benefits that come from giving back.”
“The time you give makes a large impact on other’s lives and keeps Green Bay and the surrounding area a great place to live. It is also a great way to strengthen friendships, find new interests, and learn outside of the classroom,” Young said. “The impact that we made in the Green Bay community has not gone unnoticed,” Pflum said.
Abbi Pflum said, “Connecting with the community in this way has been incredible to see and I am truly excited to see the number of staff, students, and faculty that show up for the Green Bay community next year.” The Day of Service does not end here – there are always new ways to volunteer throughout the school year, which can be found on CueGB.
