East Lansing’s Environmental Stewardship Program focuses on trash cleanup, planting native species and invasive species removal in three of the city’s parks. The next event is scheduled for 1 p.m. July 9 at Henry Fine Park.
—For years, David Mead cruised throughout the tri-county region on his bike. Now, he delights in helping people in need do the same.
Mead — a Lansing resident — has volunteered his time to various bicycle repair programs in the area for more than a decade.
“It’s satisfying to see people get bikes — it’s a recycling effort,” he said. “It’s pretty cool to see a 7-year-old get their first bike.”
With summer creating free time for many, it also creates the opportunity for students as well as residents to give back to the community by volunteering.
Patricia Hemingway, the vice president of community investment at the Capital Area United Way, said volunteering is a way to counter the financial strains that many people in the area are feeling.
“During these economic times, volunteerism is up,” Hemingway said. “People really want to lend a hand because they know what folks are experiencing.”
In the city
Kristin Shelley, director of the East Lansing Public Library, or ELPL, said volunteers are an important asset to maintaining the ongoing responsibilities of the library. The ELPL offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including helping with children’s programs, repairing items, cleaning items, shelving materials and collection maintenance.
“Volunteering gives people an opportunity to be involved and connected in the community, especially for retirees or people who have left the workforce and want to continue to be connected,” she said.
Alison Sarkozy, the activities coordinator for Active Living For Adults, or ALFA, said they always are looking for volunteers. Most volunteers are participant assistants, who are paired with someone in the program.
ALFA participants might have some sort of physical, mental, emotional or social limitation, she said. The assistants are like a buddy, and they help with the needs of participants.
“I think it’s important that we do have volunteers because it really benefits the participants and gives them a friend,” she said.
Student-Specific
Nicole Springer, the assistant director at MSU Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, said the center has both short-term and long-term summer volunteer opportunities for students.
“We try to get students engaged in the community in a way that’s mutually beneficial for both the students and the community partners,” she said. “We believe civic engagement is a fundamental part of being a good citizen.”
One of the opportunities highlighted this summer is called the Kids Repair Program. The program runs Monday through Friday, and each week there is a new group of kids.
Springer said the purpose of the program is for inner-city kids to learn good work habits, leadership and bike maintenance. Volunteers help students to fix up the bikes, and at the end of each week, kids can take their bike home.
For other short-term opportunities, she said Allen Neighborhood Center, 1619 E. Kalamazoo St., in Lansing, looks for volunteers for the farmers market and greenhouse. The Lansing Area AIDS Network is looking for people to work in their food pantry.
“It’s also important for students to know that their administration and their institution back them as being civically engaged,” Springer said. “It is a very strong part of being at MSU.”
Church
Peoples Church Elder and Chair of Outreach Ministry Bill Terrill said anyone in the community can get involved with their garden plot and Outreach 365 program.
Terrill, also an associate professor in the MSU School of Criminal Justice, said the church’s garden plot is part of the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s garden project. It is located at Towar Community Garden, 6370 Towar Ave.
“The greater idea of the community garden is that people will grow food there and they will provide a volunteer opportunity to help others who are struggling in the community,” he said.
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Terrill said the group plants a variety of vegetables, the group harvests the vegetables and takes them to the church to sell.
The church donates the money to the Lansing food bank.
Outreach 365 has the motto “one activity, one day, all year,” he said. The idea of the program is if everyone participates in one activity on one day, all of it will add up.
He said the possibilities include tutoring, working in a soup kitchen or helping with a rescue mission.
“The cumulative effect of everyone pitching in to help those in need will ultimately lead to a more compassionate and morally responsible community,” he said.
