Service Saturday inspires students to volunteer for local community 

Volunteer ETSU hosted its monthly Service Saturday event this past Saturday, Sept. 24. Students, faculty, and staff joined together on off-campus locations that spanned from Downton Johnson City to Kingsport to offer their services and work to better the community. 

“Service Saturday is an event that aims to gather people together to serve different sites across the community, both indoors and outdoors,” said Elayna Chavis, president of the Volunteer ETSU organization. 

“We focus on landscaping, organizing or basic housekeeping. Basically, whatever the organization needs us to do, we will do it for them,” Chavis stated. 

Volunteer ETSU is an organization open to all students who are interested in community service and involvement within leadership roles or non-profit work. 

“Our main goal this year is going to be student outreach. We are in a large rebuilding process that will focus on a revival of the club and more volunteer opportunities for students as the school year progresses,” Chavis said. 

A main goal of the organization is to remind students that the community is here for them, and they should be here for their community. 

“Service hours are about more than just writing your participation down and getting your requirements done. It’s about getting involved in the area you live in, especially if you are new to campus or haven’t lived locally before coming to ETSU,” Chavis said. “Even if you only participate in one Service Saturday, you can still get a feel for what Johnson City has to offer.”

The events aim to remind students about how rewarding participation and volunteer work can be. 

“It’s nice to be able to offer a helping hand and to go home knowing you did something to benefit others. Our biggest goal is for students to understand why they are participating and to develop an interest in service that is something they can utilize even after their time at ETSU.”

For students who would like to join Volunteer ETSU or participate in the future Service Saturday events, please contact Volunteer ETSU at serve@etsu.edu.