Y-Serve, also known as BYU’s Center for Service and Learning, manages programs and service projects requiring student volunteers. With Fall Semester 2016 well under way, here are just a few options for students wanting to become involved with Y-Serve:
1. Utah Healing Arts
Students share their talents in music, art, dance or theater by performing at local nursing homes. The program is flexible and allows students to choose the performances they will attend.
2. Paint a Wish
Volunteers participate in arts and crafts with children who have medical conditions. The group meets with the children every week.
3. Adaptive Aquatics
This program allows students to swim and play with children with special needs, which improves their creativity and motor, cognitive and social skills. The group meets in the Richards Building on Thursday and Friday mornings at 11 a.m.
4. Locks of Love
Students can donate their hair to create wigs for children who have lost their hair to illness. The next drive will take place Oct. 14 and 15 in the Wilkinson Center Terrace. Hair must be at least 10 inches long, and it can be colored but not dyed.
5. Spanish Interpreters
This program allows students fluent in English and Spanish to assist local Spanish speakers. The students provide translation for hospitals, schools and public services, as well as translate documents.
6. Impact
Impact volunteers work with at-risk teenagers, participating in an activity of the teen’s choice for one to two hours a week. Two student volunteers (one male and one female) are paired with one teenager to provide support, friendship and a good example.
7. Jimmerosity
These volunteers work with the Fredette Family Foundation to reduce bullying in Utah County schools. Volunteers are assigned to work with small groups of students, leading trainings and activities throughout the semester. Students should be able to attend two to four events each semester.
8. Freshman Service Corps
Freshmen participate in monthly service activities to instill leadership qualities and teach social, academic and spiritual skills.
9. Seeds of Success
Seeds of Success matches up tutors with K-12 students in the community, based on the tutor’s strengths and the student’s needs.
10. Rural Housing Development
Volunteers work with a government-sponsored agency to provide rural-area houses to families at reduced price. Families work with volunteers and their future neighbors to build homes. A carpool meets in front of the Jamba Juice in the Wilkinson Student Center most Saturday mornings.
11. Vineyard
Volunteers participate in group online service projects for the LDS Church. Projects include indexing for FamilySearch, transcribing music content, working on Church history and foreign language projects and choosing keywords for photos.
12. Adopt a Grandparent
Students befriend and frequently visit an assigned grandparent. The service group currently works with three local nursing homes.
13. Horses for Healing
Volunteers supervise riding activities for students with verbal and nonverbal learning differences. The Horses for Healing group takes six to eight volunteers to a Spanish Fork facility every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
