On September 17th in Kehr Union, a large number of the region’s non-profit and governmental organizations gathered to meet with interested BU students. The Community Care Fair was the first service program of its kind held on campus since 2004.
The aim is to give students the opportunity to meet with representatives of organizations who can explain details of that group’s work and goals. Those meetings allow students to make more-informed decisions before they commit to a community service project or other work with an off-campus agency.
Because students interact locally with agencies in internships, service projects, community-based learning, work-study and simply by volunteering as individuals, both students and agency members have a special interest in getting to know each other. The Fair will provided an opportunity for them to meet face to face.
Last April’s BU – Community Spring Summit featured presentations from BU staff members and faculty who work in various departments responsible for work-study, internships, community service and more, who then answered questions and worked with attendees.
That one-hour program provided all of the basic information organizations needed to know to successfully add interns, work study students and other volunteers to their work forces. A similar session was held just prior to the Community Care Fair for those who attended.
Among the organizations that appeared were the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Salvation Army Thrift Store, Girl Scouts of America, Columbia/Montour Family Health, Beyond Violence, Columbia/Montour Health and Hospice, SUNCOM Industries, United Way of Berwick, ACTION Health, Bloomsburg Ambulance Association, Women’s Center Inc., Pennsylvania Career Link, Your Loving Choices, Columbia/Montour Tapestry of Health, SOLVE Office, Bloomsburg University CGA, Central Susquehanna Opportunities Inc, Ronald McDonald House and Compeer Program.
If you have any questions about the Fair or those organizations that appeared you can contact BU’s SOLVE Office at 570-389-4788 or stop by the office in 224 Warren Student Service Center on campus.