Central Service Spotlight--September 11th-17th

Community Engagement has countless opportunities for you to develop and grow through service on our campus and with our Community Partners in the OKC/Edmond area.

Check out the opportunities below to discover how you can make difference on campus and in the OKC/ Edmond Community.

If you don’t see an opportunity you connect with, we welcome you to come by our Community Engagement Office (NUC 141) where we will collaborate to find what you’re looking for.

For any questions, please reach out to Community Engagement at volunteer@uco.edu.

Follow us on Instagram @uco_ce to keep up with our events and programming!

Upcoming Community Engagement Involvement Opportunities

Central Pantry Client Registration Open
The Central Pantry is UCO's on-campus, free food pantry for all students, faculty, and staff.  Once you sign up as a client, you can come shopping at the Central Pantry once a week for your entire household.

The 2023-2024 Client Form is open.  Sign-up today to shop! Register on UCORE.

Broncho Bites Notification Opt-In
Broncho Bites is an on campus initiative helping reduce food waste and providiving meals to the UCO campus community. Through this program, food left over in Ayers Kitchen is rerouted to the Broncho Bites refrigerator outside of the Central Pantry (NUC 151). This food is available to any student, faculty, or staff member that wants to grab a meal on-the-go.

All interested participants can opt-in to the Broncho Bites notification system to receive a text or email notification any time food is delivered to the Broncho Bites refrigerator.

Broncho Bites will start during the second week of classes.

Register to receive notifications when food is available!

If your office or organization has upcoming student volunteer opportunities, please send the information to volunteer@uco.edu to have it included in our weekly emails.

On-Campus Service Opportunities

Hunger Action Week with the Central Pantry
September is Hunger Action Month!  Join the Central Pantry in raising awareness and supporting efforts to end hunger on campus and in our community during Hunger Action Week from September 18-22. There are multiple ways to get involved:

Monday, September 18: Why Hunger Action Month? Tabling, NUC Second Floor, 12-3pm

Tuesday, September 19: Central Pantry Hunger Simulation, 6:30pm, Register on UCORE

Thursday, September 21: Volunteer at the Regional Food Bank, 6:00pm, Register on UCORE before September 19th

All Week: Hunger Action Week Food Drive, NUC 141 Drop Off Location, Urgent Donation Needs List

Alternative Weekend with Free to Live
Alternative Weekends seek to increase community engagement experiences for UCO students through a focus on social issues on a local and national scale. 

September's Alternative Weekend will take place on Saturday, September 23rd from 9am-4pm at Free to Live, an animal sanctuary for stray, abused, and abandoned dogs and cats. Volunteer work will include landscaping, cleaning, and time devoted to enrichment for the animals

Registration is open now through September 20th.

Little Event Volunteer and Team Leader Registration
The 12th Annual Little Event, one of UCO's largest days of student-led service to the Edmond/OKC Community, is on Saturday, October 28th from 9am-2pm.

Registration is now open to be a Team Leader or Volunteer.

Team Leader Registration is due on September 29th
Volunteer Registration is due on October 6th

Questions?  Email bigevent@uco.edu.

Indigenous Peoples' Day of Service 
Volunteer Registration
The next Oklahoma Standard Day of Service is Indigenous Peoples' Day!  We will be serving with Native Farming Solutions on Tuesday, October 10th from 8am-1pm.

Registration is now open through October 4th.

Broncho Bites Volunteers
Broncho Bites is an initiative on campus to help reduce food waste and provide meals to the UCO campus community. Through this program, food left over at the end of the daily lunch hours in Ayers Kitchen will be rerouted to the Broncho Bites refrigerator outside of the Central Pantry (NUC 151). This food will be available to any student, faculty, or staff member that wants to grab a meal on the go.

Volunteers shifts will be available every week day that campus is open. Each shift will last from 2:00pm-3:00pm.  All volunteers will meet with a Broncho Bites representative at Ayers Kitchen to start their shift.

Register for a shift (or multiple) HERE

Community Partner Service Opportunities

Caring Hearts Hospice Inc.

OKCPS READY! for Kindergarten

• Matinee Theater performances
• Arts Education – basic painting/drawing techniques; etc.
• Specialized exercise programs (i.e. Tai Chi, dance, yoga)

ReMerge of Oklahoma County
Remerge serves mothers who are facing felony charges through a program of treatment, recovery, and hope. Remerge helps them develop skills needed to be great mothers, excellent employees, and productive citizens.
 

For more information, contact Volunteer Coordinator, Lee Lewis, at LeeAndrea.Lewis@lifespringhomecare.com or call 405-329-4545.

The Arc of Oklahoma
The Arc of Oklahoma is currently seeking volunteers in the OKC and surrounding area for their OK Aim Program.

Oklahoma Advocates Involved in Monitoring (OK AIM), is the independent component of the system created by the State of Oklahoma to ensure people with IDD live quality lives and receive the best possible community-based residential services. The Arc will work with your schedule to complete the 8-hour training in three sessions so that you can perform “quality of life” visits to individuals. 

For details, contact Stacey Figueroa at (918) 582-8272 or sfigueroa@thearcok.org.

APEX Hospice
Apex Hospice is seeking volunteers to visit hospice patients that either live in their own homes or facilities. Volunteers will stop by for a friendly visit, help with chores, or give the caregiver a break. Volunteering is flexible and can work around any schedule.

Email or call Volunteer Coordinator, Brenda Garrett, to schedule a training at your convenience at Bgarrett.mission@gmail.com or 405-850-4580.

Feed the Children Volunteer Opportunities
Feed the Children is looking for volunteer groups to help build food or hygiene boxes that go out to families in Oklahoma. Shifts last 2-3 hours during the week and occasionally on Saturdays. In our Oklahoma warehouse, we have the pleasure of housing our Teacher Store which provides approved teachers with donated books, supplies, etc. The Teacher Store needs help from volunteers to check teachers in/out on shopping days, sort, organize, and stock the donated supplies.

To register or learn more, go to https://www.feedthechildren.org/get-involved/volunteer/ or contact Hailey Montgomery at hailey.montgomery@feedthechildren.org.

Humanity Hospice Volunteer Opportuntiies
Volunteering with Humanity Hospice is a wonderful way to give back to the community, increase preference points for college, future employment and much more. There are many ways to volunteer at Humanity Hospice. Each area of service is equally important and all of them help us to achieve our goal of providing the best care possible for our patients and their loved ones. 

Opportunities include but are not limited to the following:

Administrative:  This can be done between normal business hours; Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm. Tasks include helping with various office duties such as phones, filing, faxing, and putting together packets.

Events:  These hours vary in days and times. Tasks include things like hosting Bingo at a facility, helping Marketers with various events and luncheons, dropping off gifts to patients, physicians and facilities, putting together crafts and gift baskets as well as other types of marketing needs. 

Patient Care:  Humanity Hospice serves patients in numerous areas across the state both in homes and facilities. Volunteers who serve by visiting with patients and families may do so on days and times of their choosing. Patient care volunteers are there to provide emotional support through human contact. No administering of medications, medical interventions, hygiene services and so forth are done by volunteers. Simple companionship is all that is needed. 

This is just a few of the many things volunteers at Humanity Hospice can do. Others include music therapy, serving our veterans and so forth. Hospice volunteering changes so many lives with just a few moments of time.

For more information, contact Kerri Wells, Volunteer Coordinator at kerri@humanityhospice.com

Edmond Mobile Meals
Edmond Mobile Meals needs volunteers for meal delivery to Homebound Seniors. Meals are delivered Monday - Friday between 10:30am-12:30pm. Volunteers pick up meals and deliver a route to homebound seniors in Edmond.

Visit https://edmondmobilemeals.org/volunteer/ to sign up to volunteer. For any questions please reach out to Cristi Twenter at cristi@edmondmobilemeals.org 

The Fountains at Canterbury
The Fountains at Canterbury located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a retirement community offering Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing. Volunteer opportunities are offered throughout the community to compliment and boost thier activity calendar. All volunteers are required to have had the COVID vaccine.

Volunteer Opportunities: Calling Bingo, Pet Therapy, Music Therapy, Leading a class in a wide range of topics: technology, arts, music, cooking, cultural, travel, history, pop culture. 

To share a skill, interest or hobbies with our residents-all of our residents enjoy music, theatre and dance!

For more information or to sign up for any of these events Please contact Lorna Deaton at lornardeaton@watermarkcommunities or call Lorn at 405.476.2195.

Creative Music Academy
Creative Music Academy is looking for any musicians that are interested in volunteering or interning in their music school. This non-profit music school that supports students in vitual or homeschool learning by teaching music lessons.

To learn more, contact Ann Booze at creativemusicacademyinc@gmail.com.

Traditions Health Edmond Hospice Volunteer
Traditions Health is seeking individuals to volunteer to spend time with a patient, provide help to a caregiver or assist with activities in a facility. If you have a desire to be of service to those in hospice care, we have a desire for you to be a part of our hospice team as a volunteer! A current driver's license and automobile insurance verification are required. There will be a background check and fingerprinting done.

Please contact Susan Lide, Volunteer Coordinator at 405-936-9433 or susan.lide@traditionshealth.com.

Free to Live

Come help your local community by volunteering with Free to Live !

Why we do it:

Free To Live is a non-profit sanctuary for stray, abandoned and mistreated dogs and cats. It is the largest no-kill sanctuary in Oklahoma. We are a small group of animal lovers who have been carrying on the mission of founders, Bill and Pat Larson, for the last three decades.

We meet each dog or cat where they are socially and/or medically, providing the treatment they need to live their fullest lives. This focused care can sometimes take months to years depending on the level of need. 

What you will do:

Volunteering at Free to Live is a fun, rewarding experience and it makes a huge difference in the lives of our animals! There are plenty of volunteering options working with the Kennels or the Cattery. Please remember we are a working sanctuary, so please be prepared to contribute to the day-to-day operations with your visit!

How to sign up:

Fill out their online volunteer form Here or sign up for September's Alternative Break on September 23rd.