Student club aims to initiate positive changes
There’s a student club on the University of Idaho campus that indulges in both community service and pie.
According to Vandal Volunteers Club President Jessica Darney, the pie may be an extra incentive to join the club, but the rewarding service experiences are what make people stay.
Nathan Romans | Argonaut
Junior biology major and President of Vandal Volunteer Club Jessica Darney talks with group members during the club’s meeting Wednesday in the Idaho Commons. At the meeting, the group talked about upcoming projects such as the Get Involved Fair and possible activities with the humane society.
“We have pie at a lot of our meetings,” Darney said. “It’s partially as a thank you to our awesome members, but mostly because pie is delicious.”
Darney, a junior, said Vandal Volunteers is growing quickly after being established a few years ago.
“When I first joined, we had about five consistent members, and now we have 15 people who are solidly active,” she said.
Vandal Volunteers is a service-oriented club where members participate in numerous projects within the community. Darney said she first became involved with the club following an Alternative Service Break in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“A friend of mine from the trip introduced me to the club,” Darney said. “I had enjoyed all of the work we did in Pittsburgh … we were able to grow so close to the community and to each other that I wanted to continue volunteering when I came back to Moscow, and I also wanted to help other students have those kinds of experiences.”
Natalie Magnus, program coordinator for UI’s Center for Volunteerism and Social Activism, said Vandal Volunteers has a diverse range of members.
“Our members come from all different walks of life, all different majors, different years in school,” Magnus said. “The common factor is that they are students who are enthusiastic and excited about volunteering.”
Magnus, who has served as Vandal Volunteer’s adviser for almost a year, said she plays a minimal role in the club, since the student participants are so efficient.
She said she tends to financial matters and on occasion she’ll aid members in brainstorming new volunteer ideas.
“My role is really simple,” Magnus said. “We have a great group of volunteers who work well together and know how to smoothly coordinate projects.”
Vandal Volunteers has worked with a number of local organizations, including the Humane Society of the Palouse, Habitat for Humanity, the Idaho Food Bank and the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute.
Nathan Romans | Argonaut
Darney plays a game with group members before the beginning of the club’s meeting Wednesday in the Commons.
Darney said the club continues to look for interesting volunteer opportunities that are both necessary for the community and engaging for club members.
“We are currently trying to get involved in a Relay for Life project and we are working on a big project with the Humane Society,” Darney said. “Encouraging involvement and retaining members is our biggest challenge, so we try to provide a variety of volunteer opportunities that suit many different people.”
Although club volunteers work well together as a whole, Darney said she hopes to encourage members to explore different avenues of volunteerism within the community.
“We’re trying to help our individual members adopt more of a leadership role so they’re the ones seeking out opportunities and coordinating volunteer projects that give back to others, but also interest them,” Darney said.
The club’s members have flexible commitments and are able to volunteer as much or as little as they like, Darney said.
Vandal Volunteers accept members year-round and meet at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday outside the Center for Volunteerism and Social Action on the third floor of the Idaho Commons.
“The club is so versatile,” Magnus said. “Students are drawn to it for all different reasons –– they want to learn more about the community or to build a resume or to meet people … regardless of the reason, it’s a club that really allows you to grow as an individual, because you can contribute to the community while becoming more connected with others.”
Corrin Bond can be reached at [email protected]