By Katrina Plummer
In 2012 almost 6.4 million people volunteered in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Out of the U.S. population, only 22.6 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 24 years volunteered last year. The percentage of those with a college degree is slightly higher. Out of everyone with an associate’s degree, 28.7 percent volunteered and out of those with a bachelor’s degree 42.2 percent volunteered.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Southern Vermont College urges its students to volunteer and help out in the community. SVC has many clubs that participate in community service actives, yet many students on SVC’s campus are unaware of the student volunteering organization that has taken root on the spring side of the dining hall on Tuesday nights at 5:45 p.m.
MooseCorps, as it is known, has been dedicated to community service projects in the Bennington area as well as on the SVC campus since 2011. However, they don’t just do volunteer work on campus, according to Corie Stenkie, Civic Engagement Coordinator and leader of MooseCorps since 2012, “if we find a great opportunity out of town, we wouldn’t turn it down.” So if any student, faculty or staff has a volunteer idea, Corie is open to hearing about it.
So what types of things does MooseCorps participate in? In the fall 2012 semester MooseCorps made blankets for Hurricane Sandy Relief. MooseCorps also created Candy Grams and sold them for the American Heart Association, raising $180. They even had a collection to benefit Community Action in Southwest Vermont by collecting toiletry items. MooseCorps plans on collecting unwanted and unneeded clothes the week if March 13th and 14th to send to those in need.
Later in the spring 2013 semester, they hosted a Senior Citizens Prom with Bennington Project Independence. During Earth Week MooseCorps will be planned the Spring Day of Service with several different service activities on the agenda, in which students, faculty and staff could help out.
How can one join MooseCorps if interested? It’s simple, just show up at one of their meetings, every Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. in the dining hall on the spring side. Stenkie states that “Students who are active in MooseCorps activities regularly can be considered members. As long as you have a heart for service and others, you’re a MooseCorps member.” And she encourages the campus community to get out and volunteer, even if only for a little while.