St. Cloud State University

Neighborhood Cleanups

Each fall after homecoming SCSU students, staff, and faculty join together to pick up trash in the neighborhoods surrounding campus. We encourage groups and individuals to participate. Come and help to beautify SCSU campus and the surrounding neighborhoods!

Spring Break Service Trips

Spring Break service trips enable students to travel and engage in community service at the same time. We invite currently enrolled SCSU students and faculty/staff to participate. These community service trips provide a unique opportunity for students and faculty/staff to interact as partners in social change. The 2009 site is the Northern Cheyenne Indian Resrevation in Lame Deer, Montana where the group will engage in cultural and mentoring youth service experiences. Spring Break service trips provide students with an opportunity to grow personally through experience. Participants gain a better understanding of relationships and communities and experience a fun and engaging learning environment.

Volunteer & Service-Learning Fairs

Volunteer Fairs take place at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. This event is a great way to learn about local nonprofit organizations. Agency representatives come to campus to share descriptions of their service needs.

Into the Streets

Into the Streets is a one-day service plunge for new and returning SCSU students to participate in during Kick-Off Week. In the fall of 2007 approximately 115 students and staff partnered with4 different community agencies to provide service to the St. Cloud Community. We painted homes of low income and elderly persons. "Paint the Town" was co-sponsored by the St. Cloud HRA. We cleaned up and beautified a disc/frisbee gold course for the St. Cloud Park and Rec. Dept. We staffed tables and helped to facilitate a Community Health and Fitness Fair sponsored by the Scoutreach division of the Boy Scouts. We engaged in finishing work on a newly constructed home through Central MN Habitat for Humanity.
The event took place on Saturday September 8, 2007. Evaluation, reflection and celebration occured afterward.

IntoThe Streets 2007

Habitat for Humanity Slide Show............

http://media1.stcloudstate.edu/slideshows/habitat/index.html

"Make a Child Smile" Gift Drive --Nov. 30-Dec. 11, 2008

2008 marks the fourth annual "Make a Child Smile" Gift Drive. The purpose of the gift drive is to collect, wrap and provide gifts for youth ages 4-14 who are affiliated with the Central MN Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. Every year the outpouring of generosity increases. We are pleased to report that in 2007, the SCSU community donated 350 items to bring smiles to the faces of area youth who may not have otherwise received something special around the holidays.

Irv Cross, Director - Central MN Big Brothers, Big Sisters & Beth Knutson-Kolodzne, Coordinator - SCSU Volunteer Connection stand among a few of the 350 donated gifts to be distributed to children 4-14 in the area.

Donate, Don't Ditch!

Moving out? What are you going to do with that Ramen? T-shirts? Shampoo? DONATE IT!!!

At the end of every Spring semester, Volunteer Connection, Residential Life and Newman Center accept donations of unopened food, gently used clothing, school supplies, and toiletries/cleaning products. Items are taken to St. Mary's Mission in Red Lake, MN and area charities. A huge thanks to SCSU Buildings and Grounds for assisting us with transporting these items to Red Lake since 2006!

Items may be placed in the large boxes in each Residence Hall lobby the last week of April and first week of May 2010.