A group of Baker University students and Director of Student Life Brett Bruner reestablished the volunteer group Baker Serves, where students can participate in giving back to the Baldwin City community and surrounding areas.
At the Emerging Leaders Summit in November, students discussed making a service group at Baker.
Bruner said the group was committed to making it happen and he became the group’s adviser.
“After ELS, I stayed in contact with (Bruner) … I wrote the constitution, and we sent it in to (Baker University) Student Senate and it got approved, so basically we started it from the ground up,” Baker Serves President Lauren Williams said.
Williams and Callie Paquette, Baker Orange photographer, are the co-founders of Baker Serves.
Williams said the group wants to be a liaison between students and volunteer opportunities, trying to find work to fit their interests.
“If students are interested in working with animals or if they’re interested in manual labor, they’re interested in Habitat for Humanity and building something, I think it’s a great opportunity to help students find a fit for them within volunteering,” Bruner said.
The group is planning its first activity for April, called The Big Event, which is an all-day community service project. The Big Event was started at Texas A&M University and has become a national campaign. Baker will be the 73rd campus to host the project.
“The motto of The Big Event is, ‘One big day, one big thanks, one big event,'” Bruner said. “So, students could be doing anything from washing windows to painting houses, to volunteering at the Humane Society, to doing just a number of things. Our goal is to recruit a variety of job sites, so students can really find an area to match with on that day.”
After The Big Event kickoff, Baker Serves will continue to host other campus-wide events and be there to point students in the right direction to volunteer.
Baker Serves Promotions Coordinator Josh Hanson said he joined the group because it’s a good cause. Hanson volunteers at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital, but through the new organization, he wants to try something else.
“I’d like to get more involved with an elementary school and help the elementary kids with their school and whatnot. I like the idea of mentoring little kids,” Hanson said.
Williams has always been passionate about community service and wants others to feel comfortable asking Baker Serves about service opportunities.
Baker Serves meets at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in the Mungano Room in the Harter Union basement, and with about 20 to 25 members, the students are looking forward to helping the community.
“I’m just very excited for the group as they get up and running,” Bruner said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for these students to really leave their mark. I think it will truly be a great opportunity to help Baker students find a volunteer opportunity that fits their desire.”
