Inside September 28, 2004's Issue

Floyd students make a difference

By Bethany Holt
[email protected]
Staff Writer

The Volunteer Fair held in Georgia Highlands College's Student Center gave students an opportunity to explore the choices for lending a hand through community service.

The service organizations each had a table with a sign telling who they were. Information was available on what they are all about and how students could get involved with each agency. Representatives from each group explained more personally what the organization had to offer.

The organizations represented at the Sept. 8 fair were as follows: AIDS Resource Center, American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club of Rome, Communities in Schools, Coosa River Basin Initiative, Floyd Heyman Hospice Care, Floyd Medical Center Volunteers, Floyd Recycle, Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia, Harbor House, Mercy Senior Care, Regency Hospice, Salvation Army, Open Door Home, The Exchange Club Family Resource Center, Winthrop Manor Nursing Center and West Rome Baptist Church.

Some of the programs had very generalized ideas of volunteer work and a wide variety of things to choose from. The American Red Cross, for instance, had office duties, fundraiser development, CPR classes and disaster preparedness information available.

Other programs had more specific jobs they were promoting at the fair, like the Recy- cling Center which was looking mainly for volunteers to be �Re- Re,� the recycling mascot, and make appearances at various events within the community.

Big Brothers-Big Sisters, based at the Boys and Girls Club of Rome, was also looking for a few good men (and women) at the fair.

Big Brothers-Big Sisters matches volunteers with a little brother or sister with a similar personality. The pair then meets at the club to spend about two hours a week engaged in some sort of extra-curricular activity to eventually create a bonding experience.

Floyd Medical Center has as many as nine groups of volunteer services, not all necessarily in the hospital. Students must be at least 18 years of age to participate and put in a minimum of four hours weekly. The four hours a week may seem a little more demanding than some of the other services, but it does not go unrewarded. Floyd Medical Volunteers are entitled to many benefits including discounts at select restaurants such as the Harvest Moon Caf� on Broad Street.

Business major Blake Womak from Armuchee commented, �The Volunteer Fair encouraged me to explore the opportunities of giving back to my community.�

�I really enjoyed the free pizza that was given out at the Volunteer Fair,� said Justin Messer, a biochemical major from Cave Spring.

Chattooga County native Jennifer Hines, a dental hygiene major, said, �The Volunteer Fair motivated me to lend a helping hand. I never knew there were so many areas to serve in.�

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