Kick Off the Year with Service!

23 Jan

Welcome back for another great semester at Fresno State!  While you’re all getting back into the rhythm of college life, why not choose to help make a difference in your community as well?  Join us this upcoming Wednesday, January 25 from 10 am-1 pm at the Satellite Student Union for the Community Service Opportunities Fair.  We will be hosting over 50 agencies that you can get involved with, including American Red Cross Central Valley, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, and Yosemite National Park, just to name a few.  If you want to find exciting ways to help the people, animals, or community around you, this event is exactly what you’re looking for.  The opportunities are endless!

Also, be sure to check out the Richter Center Ambassadors booth!  We will be continuing our “Picture the Change” campaign at this event, and we want you to help us by pledging.  This campaign began in 2009, inspiring Fresno State students to develop a vision of continued community service in their future through personal pledges.  Learn more about “Picture the Change” here.  The ambassadors will be present to answer any questions about the campaign and about their personal service experiences.  Make sure you pledge to learn more about how you can win a lunch for two with the Richter Center Ambassadors!  Hope to see you all there!

Check out this video from last year’s spring volunteer fair for an example of what you can expect!

-Ambassador German

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Champions of Service

7 Dec

Your Richter Center Ambassadors, pumped and ready to present the first ever Champions of Service workshop. As you can see, Ambassador Ryan is very excited to begin!

Two weeks ago, the Richter Center Ambassadors launched a new program that we’ve been developing all semester long! The program is called Champions of Service, and features a workshop and presentation that focus on inspiring students to champions of service in their own communities.

I had the privilege of being a part of the team that delivered the first presentation/workshop to Central High School in Fresno. About 15 students showed up after school to hear what we had to say and participate in our activities. We started by sharing a little bit about what we do at the Richter Center and what our roles are as Ambassadors. Next, we talked about why community service is important, some of the internal and external benefits that come from being a volunteer and some of the ways to get involved at Fresno State as well as other college campuses. After our brief presentation, we jumped into our workshop time!

The goal of the workshop was to help students learn how to be an effective volunteer in their community. We encouraged the students to think about what qualities make up a good volunteer (big heart, commitment, imagination, etc.) and what the strengths/weaknesses of their communities are. We concluded the workshop with a short brainstorming session during which we allowed the students to bounce ideas for their own community service projects off us.

It was really exciting to be a part of this program, and I hope to continue being involved as we work to bring the program to more high schools in the surrounding area, and hopefully even classes offered here at Fresno State!

- Ambassador Ryan

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Food for thought…

5 Dec

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

–Margaret Mead

Margaret Mead at work.

I came across this quote the other day, and I was so inspired. We often feel that we are too small to make an impact. It is so easy to become discouraged. In my experience as a volunteer, having this feeling also gave an excuse for giving up. Why try if we can’t make a difference? After reading this, I realized that thinking that way is so wrong!  Change starts with a group of dedicated people, or even one person. Every change in the world had to start somewhere. Never think that your volunteer work is too little or not enough, because you can make a difference! Don’t give up.

Happy Holidays!

- Ambassador Jillian

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Serving Fresno Day: Giving back to our community

30 Nov

As many of you might already know, Saturday, November 19th was Serving Fresno Day, a wonderful event in which our own Fresno State students were able to give back to their community while taking pride in all that we have here in Fresno. A group of students volunteered at Rotary Storyland and Playland, while another group helped the Sierra Foothill Conservancy clean up trails in the foothills.

I was stationed at Playland, a small amusement park in the heart of Fresno where kids and their families can go for a great time. My job was to help repaint “The Octopus” ride, seen below. Others helped to repaint benches and “The Big Rocko” ride, and another group helped clean the deck near Shipwreck Cove.

"The Octopus," one of the rides worked on by volunteers at Serving Fresno Day.

It was a long process, but the results were very much worth it. Serving Fresno Day was a great experience that allowed me able to give back to the Fresno area while helping make the park a more fun and beautiful place for kids and families to be for years to come. It truly is incredible to be able to make a difference that will be seen and enjoyed by so many.

Next time, I hope to join the Sierra Foothill Conservancy in restoring trails and making the foothills an even more beautiful place to visit. In the meantime, I look forward to volunteering with other Fresno agencies that give back to our community.

With the season of giving coming up, here’s some food for thought: What are some of the ways in which you can give back to your community?

- Ambassador Becky

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Serving Fresno Day 2011: Your Chance to Give Back

14 Nov

Volunteers beautify an exhibit at Rotary Storyland and Playland.

It’s almost that time of year again.  The holiday season comes with a sense of gratitude.  It’s all about slowing down a bit, spending time with family, and most importantly, giving thanks for the great things that surround us.  What better way to kick off this season of giving than by joining in the efforts of Serving Fresno Day 2011?  Join a group of fellow Fresno State students as they share their time and desire to help on Saturday, November 19, 2011.  We will be working with our community partners, the Sierra Foothill Conservancy and Rotary Storyland and Playland.

Volunteers clear trails with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy.

Interested in helping?  You’d better act quickly!  Click here to register for this event by Wednesday, November 16.  This is sure to be a great experience, and an awesome opportunity to give back.

-Ambassador German

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Food for thought…

7 Nov

I was reading a list of famous community service quotes. This one in particular caught my attention and got me thinking.  At first, I thought it meant that every person is valuable in his or her own unique way. Then, I remembered how this quote is in a list of famous community service quotes, so I started to think on its relation to community service.

Personally, I feel that in relation to community service it means no matter what type of volunteering you do it is still volunteering, so it is still making a change even if that change is small.

What about you? How do you think this Dr. Seuss quote relates to community service?

-Ambassador Val

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Can’t Wait to Make a Difference!

20 Oct

Ambassadors Mika and Daniel take a short break from cuttin' trails at last year's Make a Difference Day with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy.

Interested in making a difference?  Love the great outdoors, and making it more accessible to other enthusiasts? Do you hold a soft spot in your heart for that favorite play area from your childhood, and want to help restore a kid-favorite spot, known valley wide?  If you answered yes to any of the above, the Richter Center Ambassadors have a solution for you!  Make-A-Difference Day, one of the highlights of the volunteering calendar for Fresno State is this weekend, and this community service advocate and supporter will be building trails with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy at the Mckenzie Preserve in the foothills.  It’s sure to be a good time!  With any luck, I will see you bright and early Saturday morn, and we can share a few hours building trails for the enjoyment of all.  Or maybe you’ll decide to lend a hand at Rotary Storyland/Playland – either way, this is sure to be one of the best volunteering experiences of the year.  Don’t miss out!

–Ambassador Daniel

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Now Announcing: Make a Difference Day 2011

29 Sep
Registration for Make a Difference Day is now open!

 

On Make a Difference Day, Fresno State partners with two local non-profit organizations, the Sierra Foothill Conservancy and Rotary Storyland and Playland, to work on two projects with the goal of making a lasting difference at two wonderful and deserving Valley locations.

Like to do things with your hands? The Sierra Foothill Conservancy is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and maintaining the area between Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks through trail-building, education, and restoration. On Make a Difference Day, you can volunteer with this organization to help build trails in the foothills near Fresno. It’s a chance to try out something you might not have done before while building and preserving trails that will help visitors to the foothills enjoy their beauty to the fullest.

Volunteers help build a trail on Make a Difference Day, 2010.

 

If trail building isn’t exactly your thing, why not try out refurbishment? Rotary Storyland and Playland is a local park for children that features walk-through exhibits of favorite nursery rhymes, as well as rides perfect for kids. On Make a Difference Day, volunteer at Rotary Storyland and Playland and you will be able to help refurbish and beautify the rides and displays so kids and their families can continue to enjoy the park for years to come.

Fresno State volunteers help refurbish an exhibit at Storyland.

To register to participate in this event, drop on by the Richter Center, or fill out the online form here.

Meanwhile, here’s some food for thought: how do YOU plan to make a difference this year?

- Ambassador Becky

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Bulldog Pantry “Will Walk for Food”: A Great Way to Kick Off the Year

16 Sep

Fresno State students on their two-mile walk around campus to benefit the Bulldog Pantry in their "Will Walk for Food" event on Saturday, September 10th.

This past Saturday, the 10th of September marked the first-ever running of the Will Walk for Food event, a fundraiser walk/run that was put on by the Bulldog Pantry. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this amazing organization, the Pantry is a student-run food bank where folks who are in need can go to receive food every week. The neighborhoods around Fresno State are home to a high level of poverty and there are many families who are simply unable to make ends meet.

Thankfully, the Bulldog Pantry is there to lend a hand to those who need it. And the Will Walk for Food event went a long way to making sure that the Pantry can continue to operate. It was announced that over $3000 was raised, money that will be used to purchase food from the Community Food Bank at a discounted rate (basically, one dollar from the Pantry will purchase $8 worth of grocery store-priced food). This was such a fun event, too! There was a five-mile run and two-mile walk with about 50 participants in total. The Richter Center Ambassadors were there in force, having a great time and sporting an “Ambassadoreo” theme. After the run/walk finished, there was a delicious BBQ dinner and live performance by local band HR7.

Overall, it was a great evening, raising money for an organization near and dear to my heart, and having a good time along the way.

Your Richter Center "Ambassadoreos" gearing up for their trek across campus.

- Ambassador Daniel 

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Community Service Fair: Fall, 2011

12 Sep

Hello, everyone! On Wednesday, August 31st, the Richter Center hosted the Fall Community Service fair on the Fresno State campus, in front of the Kennel Bookstore. Hopefully, some of you reading this made it out to check out some of the booths, meet some people and learn about some opportunities for community service near you, but for those of you who missed out, never fear! I’m here to fill you in on what you missed, and provide you with the information you need to get involved.

 

There were over 75 organizations represented at this year’s fair and, although I didn’t talk to all of them, I’d bet that they ALL would be worth your time as a volunteer. Two that stuck out to me in particular were the Sierra Foothill Conservancy and the Bulldog Pantry. I’ve always been a fan of doing work outdoors, so when I learned that many of the volunteer opportunities at the Conservancy involve some sort of landscape upkeep, I knew that this would be a place I’d want to visit. If outdoor labor isn’t your preference, check out the Bulldog Pantry. Since the fair I’ve visited the Pantry twice and have thoroughly enjoyed packing food for distribution both of the times I was there.

If you’re looking for somewhere else to volunteer, come on by the Richter Center and we will be happy to give you information and contact numbers for any of the organizations that were at the fair. In the meantime, check out the video I made about the Community Service Fair!

 -Ambassador Ryan

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