Media Advisory: UB’s Pride & Service Day sends volunteers to a dozen indoor and outdoor sites

BUFFALO, N.Y. – More than 200 University at Buffalo student volunteers plan to fan out throughout the Buffalo community volunteering nearly 600 hours of service as part of UB Pride & Service Day, the annual outreach activity that brings the UB and Buffalo community together.

When: Students will gather 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 7, in the Student Union lobby on UB’s North Campus. They will then visit about a dozen sites where they will spend the morning volunteering their services.

Where: UB students will travel to indoor and outdoor work sites, including Buffalo Olmsted Parks, University Heights Tool Library, the Buffalo City Mission and the Food Bank of Western New York. The students will return to the Student Union at 12:30 p.m. for a hot lunch and to reflect on the day.

Who: More than 200 students have signed up to volunteer for Saturday’s service, most of whom have regularly participated in community service projects throughout the semester.

The students include a diverse representation of the student body, including student-athletes, Alternative Break trip participants, living-learning community members and special interest clubs.

What: “UB Pride & Service Day is an important tradition and a wonderful way to culminate a year of meaningful campus-community partnerships and experiential learning,” says Rachel DiDomizio, community engagement coordinator for UB’s Office of Student Engagement. “Our students enjoy coming together to make a difference, learn about current social issues and enhance their leadership skills.

Why: To carry on a campus tradition and provide useful support to the dozen local agencies who serve the community year-round.

“Our students look forward to this rain-or-shine event each year,” says DiDomizio. “We hope engagement in the community will continue to be an integral part of what it means to be a UB student or alumnus for all our participants.”

Students have the opportunity to satisfy multiple objectives. They gain the satisfaction of partnering with community leaders on important projects while gaining new skills and working as part of a team. The activities also fulfill a university commitment to create positive change for others and demonstrate active citizenship through hands-on, experiential learning programs, according to DiDomizio.

Photo Opportunities: Students will volunteer for both indoor and outdoor projects, and be available for photographs. Anticipated work details include gardening in community gardens, cleaning parks and street cleaning in the University Heights neighborhood. Indoor work includes house repairs for Habitat for Humanity and processing supplies and support work at local food pantries.

Who to Contact: Call Rachel DiDomizio at 716-645-8531 the day of the event. She will have information on the times, locations and supervisors of this year’s work projects.  Or contact Charles Anzalone at the Office of Communications at 716-440-8824.