As a student from the city, I’ve never really involved myself in my community because I wasn’t able to. New York was a city where a lot of people were disconnected from their environment because there weren’t any opportunities to engage in it. That all changed when I came to Holy Cross: there are volunteer organizations, community programs, and even immersion trips to get to know Worcester’s community personally, and interpersonally.
To be specific, there’s SPUD, Student Programs for Urban Development, that allows you to go into the Worcester community to help those ranging from young children in need of tutoring, to elderly that are seeking a friend in desperate times. There are also Domestic Immersion trips during school breaks; these allow students to go into Worcester and make the most out of their time in the city with their friends and classmates. During this time, activities that students undergo range from visiting restaurants, having conversations with those in the community, and helping in soup kitchens, to reflecting on the past with their Immersion Leaders.
The service doesn’t stop there! There’s plenty of opportunities to help on campus-whether it be in the Admissions office in Outreach helping as a Tour Guide or a Greeter-or on the Campus Board to organize events for students! There’s also HCDM, Holy Cross Dance Marathon, which is an organization where students raise money for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, by dancing for 12 hours straight on stream.
There’s so many more ways you can get involved with the community on and off campus, and even abroad or across the country, and Holy Cross provided opportunities for all of them. Being able to get involved and help others love the Worcester, and Holy Cross, community as much as we do is our ultimate goal because the love here is contagious! Spreading love and positivity, and participating service where I can is something that fills me with joy, and I hope to communicate that in my future blog posts.
Until next time,
Jasmine Gomez
