Want to squeeze in some service work but can’t commit to the weekly service trips? Do you want to see what the Jesuit motto “men and women for others” really looks like in practice?
Community Action Day (CAD), organized by the Dorothy Day Center for Faith and Justice, is a university-wide day of service held once in the fall semester and once in the spring. CAD is Xavier University’s biggest day of service with students, professors, alumni, and staff members participating. Widely successful, many use this Saturday morning mini-service trip as a way to give back to the community that they’ve adopted as their home.
Over 20 different non-profit organizations that are in need of some volunteer work around the Cincinnati area will be helped this semester through Community Action Day.
CAD divides the service work into eight social justice issues which the community is trying to address: sustainability, animal rights, affordable housing, education, poverty, disabilities, elderly care, and community development. Each individual site leader (typically upperclassmen Xavier University students) has been trained and has researched their organization in order to educate their group on the importance of their volunteer work and how each non-profit is trying to fix these serious social issues.
Whether you’re interested in tutoring children, working with animals, working with the elderly or in a soup kitchen, there is bound to be a site for you and your interests.
And if none of the above will drag you out of bed early on a Saturday morning, CAD is a great way to meet new friends who have the same interest in social justice issues, learn some new skills, and to explore Cincinnati.
Community Action Day site signups and breakfast begin at 9 am outside of Gallagher Student Center tomorrow Saturday, September 20th, 2014. If you have a car on campus and are eligible to drive more than yourself, it is recommended you bring your keys to help with carpool for your group. CAD ends at 1 pm after a lunch in Gallagher Student Center.
Wear something comfy, but something you don’t mind getting dirty, and tennis shoes. (No reason to bring your purse or your favorite accessory. You don’t want to lose it during all of the great service opportunities!)
Be sure to like Xavier Community Action Day on Facebook and follow @XU_CAD on Twitter and Instagram. They will be posting pictures throughout the morning of the different groups at their site so be sure to tag them to share all the great service work you are doing!
So come early (first 250 get a t-shirt!), grab some food (breakfast AND lunch is provided), and, most importantly, make a positive change around Cincinnati!