Along with our ongoing programs like the LARY Buddy mentoring program, the VITAL Tutoring program, Saturdays of Service, and the Summer Volunteer Opportunity Grant (SVOG), the VCSC hosts and sponsors a number of events throughout the year.
See our *Calendar* for service-related events that are scheduled for the year.
Click on the links below to see details about our annual events
Ah-ha (Advocating for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness) Week
Saturday of Service (S.O.S.) is an ongoing Volunteer and Community Service Center program designed to encourage students to participate in volunteer opportunities that fit their specific interests, without the fear of making long term commitments. Student interests are gauged based on interest surveys that are completed by students throughout the year.
Past events include:
APRIL 2008
Being-There Reaching-Out Gold Star Family Day
Students chaperoned children at the Gold Star Family Day for families who had lost a dependant or parent in Iraq. The event took place at the Paper Valley Hotel and volunteers did arts and crafts, played on the Wii, and hung out with kids ages 2-16.
DECEMBER 2007
Fox Cities Salvation Army: League of Mercy
Students interested in volunteering with the elderly delivered holiday gifts provided by the Salvation Army to residents of Outagamie County’s Brewster Village. The program lasted approximately two hours and provided a bit of holiday cheer to the residents and the participating volunteers.
OCTOBER 2007
Fox Cities YMCA: Make a Difference Day – Freaky 5K Run/Walk
Students interested in volunteering with children were able to do so during the YMCA’s 2nd Annual Freaky 5K. Volunteers ran games, did face painting, and helped with food distribution as well as clean-up.
The Hunger Banquet is an OXFAM America program organized by the VCSC and co-sponsored by the student organization SWAHP. It usually takes place during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in November (organized by Students' War Against Hunger and Poverty-SWAHP). This unique dinner presentation gives students the opportunity to experience how the majority of the world eats with an interactive and visual representation of the world's population.
Make A Difference Day is the nation’s largest day of helping others. It is most commonly called a day of “neighbors helping neighbors”. Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place the fourth Saturday of every October and offers students a chance to reach out to the Appleton community and serve.
The Martin Luther King Jr. day of service is a way to remember and recognize the life and teachings of one of the greatest civil rights leaders into volunteerism and community service that helps the community. This is a national day of service in which students across America help serve to meet a social or community need. Check out these other sites that talk about Martin Luther King Jr. and the National Day of Service:
Turn Off the TV Week is a tribute to Kevin Kendall, a young AmeriCorps* VISTA worker who made it his mission to persuade people to ignore their TVs and get outside. Kendall died in a car accident in 2004. Turn Off the TV Week involves elementary students from all over the area who pledge to turn off their TV and, in turn, the community provides fun and exciting programs for the students to participate in
Details of past events:
Spring 2008
Lawrence hosted their event on Earth Day Tuesday, April 22nd from 4-6pm. Over 60 parents and elementary students came to the LU campus to participate in activities planned by LU student organizations. Students were able to work with the Sustainable Lawrence University Gardens (SLUG) group in the fruit and vegetable garden, played outdoor games with the Outdoor Recreation Club (ORC), and painted a mural with the Wriston Art Collective. Many other organizations pledged their time to make this a great and worthwhile event for the community.
Here is a campus map of the activities that occurred at LU's 2008 TV Turn-Off Event.
Ah-ha (Advocating hunger and homelessness Awareness) Week
Advocating for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week was started by a Lawrence Student. This week usually leads up to the campus-wide Shack-a-thon weekend sometime in May. In the past Ah-ha week has involved various activities related to hunger and homelessness for students to participate in. Student organizations have also been involved in Ah-ha week, by promoting awareness for the issues by posting signs, signing petitions, and hosting documentary viewings.
Details of past events:
Spring 2008
Student Organizations SLUG and SWAHP got involved in the VCSC's Ah-ha week, displaying facts about hunger in the appleton community and throughout the world. Additionally, SLUG hosted a movie showing of "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Oil" and invited students and Appleton community members to join them in their Sustainable garden on the LU campus. The VCSC staff also hosted an informal discussion with community representatives from The Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley and The Housing Partnership on the issues of homelessness in the Fox Cities area. During the annual Shack-a-thon event held at the end of Ah-ha Week, Darfur Now the documentary was shown.Spring 2007
Student Organizations helped the VCSC spread awareness about hunger and homelessness issues in our local, national, and global community. SWAHP placed a stuffed figure around campus with different stories depicting how people become homeless. VCSC staff hosted an informal lego-house building event in the coffee house as preparation for Shack-a-thon. Service opportunities to local agencies related to hunger and homelessness were provided for interested students.
Shack-A-Thon, is an annual event put on by the VCSC in collaboration
with the Lawrence Habitat for Humanity chapter. Various student
organizations construct shacks from only scavenged or donated materials to
raise money that is donated to Habitat for Humanity.
Students from a wide range of organizations build and sleep in the
shacks for the duration of the event. Other activities that occur on the day of the event include poetry readings, games, raffles, trivia, and movies all related to poverty and homelessness. The event is designed to be a fun weekend where education about poverty
and homelessness are presented to the community in a realistic and visual manner.
Details of past events:
Spring 2008
This was Shack-A-Thon's 7th year and the first Shack-a-thon event to occur after the completion of the first-ever Lawrence University co-sponsored Habitat House. Building on the house was completed in the Fall of 2007 with the money raised from the first five years of Shack-a-thon events. This year, the theme was The Fairytale Game of Life. The day consisted of a raffle with electronic prizes (all proceeds going toward Habitat), Ormsby ZooDays inflatable games and free food, and live entertainment by our very own Lawrentians. About 10 student organizations joined forces to build 4 shacks on main hall green and over $1400 was raised for Habitat for Humanity.