Demond Lewis
MC301 Contributor/Staff
On Sept. 8, Jackson State University students were able to gather information at the Community in Action (CIA) Fair regarding community service hours.
The main goal of the Community in Action (CIA) Fair is to help students earn community service hours with various organizations and agencies that they may be interested in that are partnered with JSU and throughout the city of Jackson.
‘’Because the students at Jackson State University are required 120 hours of community service, the Career Services program has partnered with community agencies across the state of Mississippi to come in and show the students how and where they can go to get service and help out the community,” said Lashanda Jordan, director of career services.
Some of the organizations and agencies that were present at the fair were: Good Samaritan, Center for Social Entrepreneurship, The Jackson Zoo, Center Players Community Theatre, and American Heart Society.
“We partner up with all these different booths, and students are able to get community service hours. They’re even able to get part-time work, so it’s a fantastic deal for students here at Jackson State to be able to get part-time jobs and get their community service needed to graduate. It’s been around for a couple of years, and I participate in it every year,” said Henry Thompson, senior prevention specialist with Metro Jackson CPS.
Thompson also stated: “This year, they actually had Whataburger, Outback, Target, so if you’re a student and you’re looking for part time work, you possibly could have gotten hired today. We actually have a lady over there talking about self-defense, about rape, about if something like that tragically happens. This year is a really big event because this is the first time they’ve partnered with career services, and now we have all these different vendors come out from a job perspective where students can actually get employment.”
Tracie Wade, community events specialist for the American Heart Society, described how students can earn community service hours during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, a program of the American Cancer Society.
“We are a majorly-led organization, so we depend on our volunteers to help us with office stuff, as well as with our events. The day of the walk, we need help from the time we set up, to the time we break down, and everything in between. That could be passing out water to walkers, directing traffic along the route as a route marshal, greeting people as they come in and directing them to their correct tent, and helping out with registration,” said Wade.
Veronica Herrin, a representative for The Good Samaritan, was just another of the many vendors present at the fair offering community service to the university’s students.
“We’re a nonprofit social service agency. We help in tow main ways with food and clothing. We have our location here in Jackson, and then we do have another location in Laurel, Miss. where we have a food pantry, soup kitchen, thrift store, and a bingo. We’ve been around for over 40 years, and most of our employees have worked there 20 plus years, which is very impressive,” said Herrin.
Ciera Mclendon, a senior elementary education major from Waynesboro, Miss., said she wanted to volunteer with the breast cancer walk hosted by the American Heart Society.
“You can be a part of the breast cancer walk as well as volunteer for it,” said McClendon.
Britney McMillion, a junior elementary education major from Chicago, Ill., described how she had benefited form the fair because she needed a job.
“It was a really big benefit, because all the jobs I applied to online were miss and fail,” said McMillion.
For more information regarding community service, different organizations, agencies, and events, contact the Center for Service and Community Engaged Learning at 601-979-1294 or visit the office in the Jacob L. Reddix Hall on the first floor.
Cornelius Copeland contributed to this story.
