Ohio University's Growth International Volunteer Excursions organization encourages active volunteering in Athens.
According to the organization’s BobcatConnect page, the organization’s goal "is to cultivate a passion for helping people in all communities, while creating friendships with like-minded people along the way."
Miranda Schock, a senior studying social work and president of OU GIVE, said it is a social and service related organization. OU GIVE is affiliated with the national GIVE organization which provides opportunities for volunteer excursions in places such as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Central America, Tanzania, Thailand and Laos.
“A lot of the people in our club are people who are really passionate about travel,” Schock said. “Another one of the major values (is) the idea of global citizenship and seeing yourself as a global citizen.”
Schock said there are around 30 members in OU GIVE currently, the organization focuses on service events and giving presentations about travel related items and global citizenship. It supports the national GIVE organizations through fundraisers during the semester as well.
The United Nations defines global citizenship as an umbrella term for “social, political, environmental and economic actions of globally minded individuals and communities on a worldwide scale.”
EllieAna Shanklin, a senior studying environmental studies and vice president of OU GIVE, said the organization has given her a way to build kinship with people who have like-minded morals and values.
“It was just a really good community that I felt really welcome in,” Shanklin said. “I knew that I would be able to thrive in this club.”
Shanklin said her favorite service project OU GIVE has done was volunteering with Athens Books to Prisoners. The club collected books from the library at Sojourners Resiliency Center, located at 5. N. Schafer St., based on notes they received from prisoners about book preferences.
The Athens Books to Prisoners project is a part of the People’s Justice League. According to the Athens Books to Prisoners website, many of the requests come from prisoners with little access to prison libraries.
OU GIVE also makes cards for hospice care patients with OhioHealth and previously volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
Grace Monroe, a sophomore studying nursing and social chair for OU GIVE, is hoping to go on a GIVE trip to Thailand.
According to the GIVE volunteers website, volunteering in Thailand involves working with hill-tribe organizations on organic farming, reforestation and English education projects.
Thursday morning, OU GIVE held a fundraiser through the national GIVE organization for kids education through a project called "Students for Students.”
“The students here are helping students over in the country GIVE is supporting,” Monroe said.
Students interested in volunteering and joining OU GIVE can visit the organization's BobcatConnect page or Instagram.
“You really get to know people in a meaningful way,” Schock said.
