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Volunteering in Athens,
Editor’s note. This is the second part of a two-
part article about how new Athens residents
and students can go about getting involved
in the myriad of volunteer opportunities here.
Find part one online at Flagpole.com.
pointed out last week in the first
part of this article, volunteer
opportunities in Athens are end
less, and it would not be possible to list them
all here. To continue the discussion about
getting involved, though, here are notes on
a handful of prominent non-profits, as well
as some words of wisdom for prospective vol
unteers from the staffers and board members
who keep these organizations going.
Project Safe, for example, is a local orga
nization dedicated to assisting victims of
domestic violence. Awatif Eljack, the organi
zation's volunteer coordinator, offers several
opportunities for volunteers, including work
ing at the Project Safe Thrift Store, donating
clothes, running a drive for cell phones or
toiletries (after first connecting with Project
Safe staff), supporting fundraisers or becom
ing a direct service volunteer through the
training program offered in October. Visit the
Project Safe website at www.project-safe.org
to learn more.
The local group Athens Grow Green (www.
athensgrowgreen.org) "promotes responsible
community development and growth manage
ment policies and practices." This semester
in particular, Grow Green has requested vol
unteers who are interested in helping with
research and writing on environmental and
land-use topics, which would be an excellent
way for students interested in these fields to
gain experience (and perhaps even additional
credit hours).
For those who are interested in Athens'
music scene, volunteering at Nup's Space
(www.nuci.org) is an opportunity to help art
ists and musicians by doing something other
than buying a ticket to a show. "We're really
open to having students volunteer here," says
Will Kiser of Nugi's Space. "We have a small
staff and we're able to do as much as we do by
utilizing help from lots of people interested in
our mission—a large number of which are stu
dents." Nugi's Space has two upcoming events
in October, both of which still need volun
teers: the SPACE Race 5K and Nug's Space's
9th Anniversary Party.
The Cottage, a local sexual assault center
and children's advocacy center, focuses on
providing support for victims of sexual abuse.
Volunteer opportunities are listed on the orga
nization's website, www.northgeorgiacottage.
org, and range from answering its hotline to
helping around the office or on the grounds
of its headquarters. The Cottage offers train
ing for new volunteers three times a year,
usually in early September, January and June.
"The bulk of our volunteers are students at
UGA with interests in counseling, psychol
ogy, social work and women's studies," says
Sally Sheppard, the executive director of The
Cottage. She also offers advice for all volun
teers: 1) If you commit, really commit; do
what you say you are going to do. 2) Find
something that you are passionate about to
volunteer for—something that truly interests
you. 3) Put all volunteer experiences on your
resume. If you are a good volunteer, she says,
your supervisor may provide a reference for
future employment or education.
Art Ordoqui-Payton of HandsOn Northeast
Georgia agrees that there are things to con
sider before agreeing to volunteer anywhere.
First, "consider [your] availability," he says.
"Non-profits love to work with students...
[they] provide a lot of great energy and
resource to the agencies, but just make sure
you can deliver on what you promise so that
the agency's mission can be furthered." A
helpful reminder is that those who cannot
commit weekly blocks of time should consider
volunteering at specific one-time events, such
as food drives or community clean-ups.
Not only does volunteerism add additional
lines to anyone's resume, but the act of vol
unteering can often provide experience that
cannot be gained elsewhere. For graduate
students, volunteering during their time in
school can give them a unique leg up from
their peers. "Private sector firms value hands-
on legal experience and want students to be
able to 'hit the ground running,'" says Beth
Kirch of Legal Career Services at the University
of Georgia School of Law. Additionally, she
says, "public sector employers—government
agencies, public defenders, prosecutors, courts
and non-profit groups—love to see applicants
who show a demonstrated commitment to the
needs of their clients and who have direct
experience with their legal issues."
Prof. Fazal Khan, of AIDS Athens, also
offers a solution to the common feeling that
what someone learns in the classroom is not
what that person needs to know in the real
world. "From students, too often I hear the
jaded sentiment that school feels meaning
less and has little practical application.
Volunteering is the perfect antidote for this
sentiment, and can really improve one's col
legiate experience." Perhaps new students
can avoid this feeling by getting involved in
a worthwhile organization from the first few
months they are in Athens. There are plenty of
deserving organizations to choose from.
Katherine Shell
Mark your calendar for the Athens Area Volunteer Expo
on Thursday, Sept. 10,4-7 p.m. at the Classic Center.
8 FLAGPOLE.COM ■ AUGUST 19,2009
WSOW CROSBY