There are many student organizations at Michigan State University that are focused on volunteering. Some hone in their focus on a single issue, providing recurrent volunteering to a single organization. For example, Helping Hands provides free tutoring services to students at East Lansing schools and the Youth Movement Against Alzheimer’s promotes volunteering at Brookdale Senior Living. Other clubs, such as the ones shown here, take a broader approach to community service, offering members a variety of opportunities in different areas. Getting involved in a service-focused club can allow you to explore different social causes to find new passions and meet new people along the way. Here are 6 service organizations worth checking out at MSU.
MSU Rotaract
I am very privileged to be the Secretary of the MSU Rotaract club! The collegiate affiliate of the International Rotary Organization, this club meets biweekly on Wednesday evenings and completes various volunteer activities around the East Lansing community. We also host an annual Women’s Empowerment Symposium, where we invite top women from a variety of career fields to talk to us.
Lions Club
Lions Club International is the world’s largest service organization, with approximately 1.4 million members. Its MSU chapter works to better the Lansing community, and they have volunteered at Alison House, an affordable housing complex in the past, and are currently working on a project involving service dogs.
Honors College Service Club
Despite its name, it is open to all students regardless of membership in the Honors College. The club hosts weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., which often involve speakers from a variety of outside organizations informing members about individual volunteering opportunities. Group volunteering opportunities are held approximately once a month, and are often on weekends. The club also holds study sessions on Thursdays in the MSU library to create a sense of community among members. This club also has no dues, so it is great for those seeking a low-commitment opportunity. If you are looking for an academically inclined community interested in service, this club may be perfect for you!
Spartans Rebuilding Michigan
This club aims to connect MSU students with nonprofits in the Greater Lansing community to complete volunteer work on both an individual and group basis. Organizations that they have served in the past include Haven House, an emergency homeless shelter for families, the Capital Area Humane Society, and the Allen Neighborhood Center, which serves Lansing Eastside residents in a variety of ways.
Global Young Leaders Network
This club is part of an international organization funded by the Sunwah Foundation, which hopes to promote understanding and appreciation of different cultures and fund humanitarian projects. Headquartered in Hong Kong, it has additional chapters in China, Macau, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Canada, and the U.S. Its MSU chapter is the only one in the United States. A unique program that GYLN offers are micro-grants used to implement service projects around the East Lansing community.
Volunteering is imperative to help vulnerable communities in our area and beyond, but it can also benefit the volunteers themselves. Completing service can expose volunteers to career opportunities in the non-profit space, help to cultivate necessary skills for future employment, and give volunteers a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction from doing good. Completing volunteer hours can also lead to recognition. The Spartan Volunteer Service Award is given to any MSU student who completes 100 or more hours of community service in a calendar year, between Nov. 15, 2023 and Nov. 14, 2024. Be sure to log all of the service hours you have completed during this period on MSU’s Center for Community Engaged Learning website to become eligible.