The snowy weather didn’t stop community members from making an impact during CSUnity, Colorado State University’s large-scale tradition of volunteer service during the spring semester.
The annual service event on April 21 attracted 1,450 volunteers who collectively completed approximately 6,000 hours of service work, according to organizers.
“We are incredibly grateful to our many volunteers, neighbors and service providers who demonstrated their dedication, flexibility and commitment to serving our local community,” said SLiCE Community Engagement Graduate Coordinator Katlyn Murphy. “CSU Rams brought so much joy, compassion and positivity to their service projects.”
The 27th edition of CSUnity, which coincides with National Volunteer Month in April, featured volunteers partaking in an array of projects throughout Fort Collins. Murphy said that volunteers raked yards of older neighbors, some learned how to trim bushes for the first time, and others supported with spring clean-up projects. In all, 163 neighbors were supported throughout the day.
Murphy added that 17 service providers also assisted. This included Dear Jack Foundation volunteers who wrote 700 letters to young adults in cancer treatment. At Crossroads Safehouse, volunteers assembled 26 household kits for their transitioning families.
Mulberry Community Garden volunteers cleaned up and prepared the garden for spring.
CSU athletes joined teams of experienced Red Cross volunteers to go door-to-door installing smoke alarms and educating residents about home fire safety. Volunteers at The Farm were also there, helping with tasks such as mulching, painting, weeding and moving hay.
“We are steadily growing the program and extending our impact on neighbors, service providers and CSU Rams,” Murphy said. “We cultivated intergenerational connections and brought together CSU Rams with our local neighbors and service providers through impactful and genuine connections. We want to thank all the volunteers who made an impact through every conversation they had and every leaf they raked. Join us next year for CSUnity to celebrate National Volunteer Month.”
