The spirit of giving is in the air and with the holidays right around the corner many people are looking for ways they can serve.
One of the best places to go happens to be on right here on campus in the Y-serve office! Y-serve is located in the Wilkinson Center and offers many projects that are open to all students who want to reach out and do something good this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
Y-serve is a place where students can come and spend as little or as much time as they want serving those in the community.
Chris Crippen, director of Y-serve, said, 'There are 70 community service programs and a wide variety of categories of service for students to participate in.'
In the space there are tables with projects fellow students have thought of, prepared and planned.
'The purpose of these centers are to offer students a meaningful service opportunity while here. These programs are run and even proposed by students. We try and keep our service local. We love our neighbor is kind of one of our themes,' said Crippen.
Crippen also said within the past year they have had more than 10 thousand volunteers come and join in the spirit of giving with projects provided by Y-serve.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also is helping students to be motivated in efforts of service through the launch of a campaign last year called, “Light the World.” A campaign inspired to help members serve throughout the month of December. This year the campaign is set up as a weekly service goal rather than the 25 day challenge of last year.
Crippen says Y-serve is here to help students accomplish the weekly service commitment from Light the World this year.
Crippen said, 'We just started on December first with the world wide day of service. And following this week, we have a theme for each of the coming weeks, as directed by Light the World.'
Y-serve has created a pamphlet with each week along with projects provided to give students the opportunity to fulfill each week in lighting the world this holiday season.
Audery Ahlers, said the following about her experience serving this Christmas season, 'I’ve really have been trying to focus this Christmas season on finding a personal way to serve people. One project we have going on that I think is really meaningful and sweet is writing cards to a girl named Lizzie, who has a terminal illness and it’s a really personal way to serve rather than a big general project. It's really specific to someone’s needs.'
To be involved and for more information on how you can serve and light the world this holiday season, visit the Y-serve office located in the Wilkinson center.