Volunteers Put Hands and Minds to Work at San Diego Middle School
Beautification, tutoring project kicks off UC San Diego Cares Week
Brook Williamson and Kim Wenrick | May 2, 2011
More than 150 students, staff and faculty kicked off UC San Diego Cares Week with a large volunteer project Saturday
at Bell Middle School, an underserved school which educates many children from low-income families in Paradise Hills, in south San Diego County. The
tutoring and beautification project, called Hands On San Diego, was organized by students
with UCSD's Volunteer50 program and Associated Students
Volunteer Connection.
Chancellor Marye Anne Fox launched the Volunteer50 initiative to commemorate the university's 50th anniversary year and
she has challenged all campus community members to perform 50 hours of service.
“There is a reason UC San Diego is ranked first in the country for our commitment to service—we care about our
community and helping people,” said Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. “Our Volunteer50 program is a prime example
of our widespread and diverse efforts that are having a positive impact on our region and world.”
Student volunteers paint the racquetball courts in bright colors.
During Saturday’s project, volunteers contributed to the physical restoration of the school by painting the racquetball
courts, benches and various walls in vibrant colors. “Today’s project is special because there are so
many different ways to make a difference,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Penny Rue.
“I can’t imagine how many students will want to play handball now, once they see all these bright
colors,” said Bell Middle School Principal Michael Dodson. “The help we are getting is a godsend.”
Undergraduates also led a tutoring session in math for 50 Bell students who are getting ready for STAR testing this week.
“We are extremely honored that so many UC San Diego students are willing to contribute their time and energy
on behalf of our students and our school,” said Bell Middle School Vice Principal Kathleen Gallagher. “Our
teachers, staff, parents and, most important, our students will always remember this day. The efforts made by the volunteers
will inspire our community for years to come.”
Vice Chancellor Penny Rue and Principal Michael Dodson with student volunteers at the newly painted racquetball courts.
Student Matt White, AS Volunteer Connection co-director and Volunteer50 participant, adds, “We wanted to shine
the light of the UC system on this school and its students. Our goal is to create long-lasting change at Bell
Middle School.”
UC San Diego Cares Week is a community service campaign that was launched 10 years ago to inspire activism and
volunteerism, promote philanthropy and unify the campus community. Numerous community service projects, fundraisers and
special events will be held on the UC San Diego campus and in the community all week.
Volunteer50 Hits the Big 4-0: 40,000 Hours of Service
By Kim Wenrick and Brook Williamson
Thanks to the efforts of more than 3,000 UC San Diego volunteers, the Volunteer50: Chancellor's Call to Service has reached more than 40,000 hours of service this 50th Anniversary year, and is 10,000 hours away from reaching a cumulative goal of 50,000 hours. With Saturday's tutoring and beautification project at Bell Middle School leading into UC San Diego Cares Week, that goal is in sight.
Individuals from the university and the San Diego community at large, as well as groups of volunteers, have signed up and logged their hours since August. So far, students have logged more than 19,000 hours, staff more than 15,000 hours, and faculty, alumni and community members have contributed more than 6,000 hours. Volunteer opportunities at major events—such as the Clinton Global Initiative University, the Leon T. Roach Terraces project, the San Diego Science Festival and, of course, 50th Anniversary events such as Founders' Day, Innovation Day Expo and Symposia (IDEaS) and Green Open House—are just a few of the campus-related activities that produced many thousands of hours of donated time.
"The Volunteer50 initiative is our chance as a UC San Diego family to give back to our community—a community that has supported us for 50 years," said Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. "It's also an opportunity for our supporters to exercise good citizenship and work together toward the common goal of helping and improving our community."
It's not too late to sign up and log your hours. Any time donated to helping others in the community counts. So whether you volunteer at your church, a school, a senior center, hospital or a recreation facility, if you have given time and energy, you have volunteered. To register for the program, learn about service opportunities, log donated hours and track the cumulative hours of friends and colleagues, visit volunteer50.ucsd.edu. Volunteer50 is on the honor system; you do not need verification from the organization where you volunteered. While the university has a goal this academic year of reaching 50,000 hours of service and of having each individual contribute 50 hours or more, any length and time of community service is welcome.
Volunteering helps the community, saves precious financial resources and brings people together for a common purpose. Every volunteer makes a difference, not just for a day, but for a lifetime.
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