Community in Action Fair

Dekyra Dennis
Staff Writer/MC 301

Students eager to learn how they can serve from CIA Fair vendors

If you did not attend the Community in Action Fair hosted by the Alice Varnado Harden Center for Service and Community Engaged Learning, you missed an opportunity to engage with over 40 vendors in a variety of service areas.

Volunteer opportunities were offered to Jackson State University students in the areas of health, education, sports, and much more in the Student Center Ballrooms A&B on Sept. 12, 2019.

Kelli Goddard-Sobers, Service Learning Coordinator, agrees that opportunities like the CIA Fair give students the opportunity to talk to community people, develop relationships with vendors, and also give exposure to Jackson State.

Students like Dwayne Jefferson felt that CIA fair brought community awareness to the JSU campus. Jefferson, a junior pre-physical therapy major from Jackson, Miss., appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the service opportunities offered in the area.

“It was great for the vendors at the fair to take the time to help struggling college students and to help jump start our careers through community service,” Jefferson said.

The Alzheimer’s Association offered one of the community service opportunities Jefferson could explore.

Jessica Buckner, the Alzheimer’s Association representative said, “The CIA Fair is a good opportunity to reach out to the younger groups and have them come and learn more about Alzheimer’s and how it affects not just older people but younger ones as well,” said Buckner.

Two community service opportunities Buckner explained were the Longest Day and Walk To End Alzheimer’s. The Longest Day is celebrated on the day with the most light—summer solstice.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is another fundraiser used to raise awareness by reaching over 600 communities and more than 500,000 people. These two signature events help fuel the program’s longevity.

Students who decide to volunteer and get community service hours at the same time, can care for people going through the different stages of Alzheimer’s and supply care and support for these families dealing with the disease.

Another health service opportunity students could explore was with the American Red Cross. Cathy Halford, a volunteer for Red Cross, spoke about the various services offered and opportunities for students to get involved.

The Pillowcase Project deals with third and fourth graders and they learn to overcome their anxiety in disaster situations. The Red Cross visits the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts as well as a part of this project.

Red Cross provides a lot services, including immediate financial help, the Red Cross smoke alarm giveaway, help for veterans, and deployment teams. The most critical area of need is the Disaster Action Team (DAT). This team is similar to first responders and helps support victims in their time of need. Students can join this team by taking classes online or in class and can be deployed for up to two weeks depending on the severity of the disaster.

The whole purpose of the Red Cross is to help people in desperate time and when a family is literally left with nothing.

Goddard-Sobers wants JSU students to learn how they can serve with organizations like the Red Cross.

“Community service is necessary because at the end of the day, we want students who are not just about the academics, we want them to be civically engaged as well,” said Goddard-Sobers.

If volunteering in the health arena is not your top choice, community service hours at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History may be your cup of tea.

The department is currently commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Gibbs and Green shooting that occurred at JSU on May 15, 1970.

Archives and History representatives Shelby Tipton and Michael Morris are extremely passionate about Civil Rights and deal with students from K-12 and even college students daily.

Morris stated, “There is not a day I’m not in the museum that I don’t witness someone’s life being changed.”

Many JSU students, like Tariq Williams, a junior accounting major from Raymond, Miss., were pleased that community service vendors were brought to JSU.

“I feel like the fair was a great opportunity to network because your network is your net worth,” said Williams.

Niyah Odum, a social work major from Olive Branch Miss., was also pleased.

“I have gotten a chance to meet a lot of different vendors and go outside my comfort zone and I plan on exploring new fields within the social work profession and in the community in general,” said Odum.

For students who missed the CIA Fair, the AVH Center for Service has a complete list of vendors offering service opportunities. Students can call 601-979-6938.

Frank Williams, Jr. contributed to this article.