By Charlotte Murphy, IU Corps Intern
IU’s service-based student organization, Volunteer Corps, is hosting its third annual Little Day of Service (LDOS) on April 18 and 19. Senior Tess Cortopassi is the Vice Chair of the Volunteer Corps board and has been heavily involved in planning this year’s LDOS.
Cortopassi has been a member of Volunteer Corps since freshman year and has had an eyewitness account of the growth that has occurred with LDOS. LDOS happens the weekend before Little 500 each year. The idea behind the timing of the special day is a way for students to give back to the Bloomington community before “The World’s Greatest College Weekend.”
“We wanted to generate a big event that would inspire students to want to get out there and give back. We do it the weekend before Little 5, which is why it’s called Little Day of Service. Little 5 is a big student event and I think that there’s kind of been a strained relationship between Bloomington students and the Bloomington community. It’s a big mission of ours to help repair that relationship and give back to the community,” Cortopassi said.
Now, LDOS is an opportunity for 100+ students to volunteer in the community for two days. Part of the Volunteer Corps mission is to build and strengthen relationships with community partners through the annual LDOS event. Volunteer Corps has received praises and exemplary reviews from community partners. Partners consistently communicate that they are pleased IU students care about their work, their mission, and the Bloomington community. Volunteer Corps is actively making plans to help LDOS grow with more partners and more student volunteers in the coming years.
This year, Volunteer Corps will be working with the following organizations during LDOS:
- Hilltop Gardens
- Mulching, weeding, cleaning with the opportunity to get a free houseplant
- Beacon
- Neighborhood cleaning, painting a room, sorting/organizing donations, unpacking/creating welcome kits
- Creative Arts for Veterans
- Creating mental health art kits to be sent to veterans across the country
- Monroe County Public Library
- Beautifying outdoor areas with mulch at the Downtown location
- Pantry 279
- Cleaning, filling, repacking, and painting
- Area 10 Agency on Aging
- Collecting donations from shoppers at surrounding Kroger stores
- Bloomington Community Orchards
- Weeding and cleaning the orchard
Sign up for Volunteer Corps Little Day of Service on the Volunteer Corps beINvolved page! More information is available on their GroupMe. Register a time when you are available with specific partner locations. Transportation is offered and can be arranged through Volunteer Corps board members.
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