NSU students can serve the homeless at Broward Outreach centers in Hollywood and Pompano Beach on Feb. 20 with the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement (SLCE) from 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Students will organize clothing, toiletries and other items.
Camilo Yibrin, assistant director of SLCE, said that service trips are a great opportunity for students to learn about the community.
“They become more concerned with why things are happening and more aware of all the community problems,” he said. “That’s when they decide to do something for themselves and become active citizens.”
Schae Maynard, junior environmental science major, is a student facilitator for the service day and will help students reflect on their experiences throughout the day. She said that she loves seeing fellow students get excited about service work and being part of the experience with them.
“My experiences with service days have been absolutely incredible,” she said. “The energy of the groups is the best part of the day. People really get excited to help others and make an impact on our local community. The opportunity to get to give back to something bigger than yourself is really awesome.”
Yibrin said service work that involves people is more fulfilling than service work that involves picking up trash or weeding.
“In my opinion, homeless people in Florida aren’t being helped the way they’re helped in other states,” he said. “The interest is not as much as you see in other places. They need help. They need to get back on their own feet, and they will, if you help them.”
Maynard said that service helps students to reflect on their lives.
“I take a lot of stuff in my life for granted,” she said. “Having the opportunity to see that the way your life is isn’t necessarily the way that everyone else’s life is helps you reflect on what you, as a person, can do.”
Elizabeth Mazorowicz, graduate assistant for SLCE, said that service days are a good way for students to develop a passion for service.
“I know it sounds cheesy,” she added. “But it feels good to help people. It’s easy to forget that a lot of people have different circumstances when you’re at a university and constantly focused on your studies.”
Yibrin said that service allows students to understand community-related issues.
“They’re able to see things that they’ve never seen before in their lives,” he said. “They get interested in those things, and, hopefully, they become more engaged citizens.”
SLCE will provide transportation to and from the centers; buses will leave from the Shark Circle at 8:15 a.m. Lunch will be provided. Students can sign up for the event at orgsync.com/45785/forms/177373. For more information, contact the SLCE office at slce@nova.edu or 954-262-7195.
