Shannon KeoughNew to Cabrini College this year is the Community Service and Outreach Club. This club creates opportunities for students to volunteer their time in the community on and off campus.
“We want to provide support for students in the issues they hold close to their hearts,” Chris Cantwell, senior history and secondary education major, said.
As president of CSOC, Cantwell wants to make sure that opportunites are provided to students to participate in events and causes that are meaningful to them. Not only do students get to participate as volunteers, but they can also coordinate the service and fundraising events as well.
As their first major event, the Community Service and Outreach Club remembered Sept. 11, 2001 in a few different ways around campus. American flags were posted all over campus and the students also created a “Cabrini Remembers” flag with over 100 student signatures. Many people also gathered in remembrance for the prayer service CSOC coordinated along with Campus Ministry.
Kicking off October with a fundraising event is the first substantial off-campus benefit for the club. The Laurel House, a domestic abuse shelter in Norristown, will benefit from the money raised from a raffle for a reserved parking spot on Cabrini’s campus. There will also be an opportunity to participate in the Laurel House walk against domestic abuse.
In preparation for Halloween, CSOC is thinking of the kids by sorting and providing costumes through working with the Police Athletic League in Norristown. The children can try on and take home free Halloween costumes.
Students get to help out at St. Francis soup kitchen in Philadelphia later in October.
“Helping out in a soup kitchen is such a rewarding experience for anyone. I hope a lot of students want to help out and come to Philly with us,” Emily Dispoto, senior psychology major, said.
Cans Across America is a major event that the club will partake in before Thanksgiving this November. The Wolfington Center and Campus Ministry have coordinated it in past years.
Working with Cabrini’s dining services, they hope to break the past collection record. After the cans are collected, CSOC takes them into Philadelphia to an after school program and a food pantry where students run the event for the rest of the day.
“Reaching out and volunteering your time is rewarding and fulfilling. Knowing that you are donating your time to helping others is an opportunity that everyone should experience,” Dispoto said.
