The service committee was formed by Catherine Kolf in Fall 2006 in an effort to allow graduate students the opportunity to give back to the community. For ideas on future service projects contact GSCservice@od.nih.gov .
Current Community Service Opportunities:
- Pack boxes of food for Montgomery County families at the Manna Food Warehouse in Rockville, MD. Our group volunteers on the first Tuesday of the even-months (Feb, April, June, Aug, Oct, Dec). We typically meet in front of Building 2 at 6:30 pm to carpool. Contact GSCservice@od.nih.gov to join us next time!
- NIH Graduate Student Blood Drives: held about every 2 months at the Clinical Center Blood Bank (Building 10). The NIH patient community truly appreciates the gift of blood donation. Contact GSCservice@od.nih.gov to sign up for the next Blood Drive!
- Relay for Life Cancer Awareness & Fundraising Event - help Team NIH Graduate Students raise $500 toward this important cause. Information on joining our team or donating money is at http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09SA?team_id=362801&pg=team&fr_id=12639&et=fp_j25vPx2CbvdUX_60j2w..&s_tafId=243467
- Children's Inn supper - on Wednesday May 27th we will prepare and serve a delicious meal to the children and families staying at the Children's Inn on the NIH campus. We need help planning, shopping, chopping, cooking, and serving. Contact GSCservice@od.nih.gov to help!
- A wonderful long-term volunteer opportunity is through the Youth Enrichment Program of Transitional Housing Corporation. THC is a D.C. non-profit organization that helps families with children move from homelessness to permanent housing and lives of independence and dignity. Volunteers help out with Reading Club, games, and arts & crafts. You can read more about THC at www.thcdc.org or contact the Community Service committee to get involved.
Some highlights of our community service endeavours over the past few years:
2008
In 2008 we volunteered at Manna Food three times, packing boxes for needy families and unpacking food donations from the Stuff-A-Bus food drive.
We began holding Graduate Student Blood Drives in March 2008 and they have been a huge success! Thank you to the generous students and GPP staff that donate their blood to the NIH patient community.
In September 2008 we cleaned up trash and debris from the Sligo Creek watershed in Silver Spring, Maryland, as part of National Public Lands Day.
2007
In December 2007, we helped pack food boxes at the Manna Food Center. Put enough scientists in a room together and things get done quickly. We had such a great turnout of volunteers that we finished packing boxes in record time!
In September 2007, we participated in a National Parks Cleanup Day event at Kenilworth Gardens in Anacostia / Southeast D.C.
2006
In December of 2006, for the first service project grad students of NIH teamed up with the young adults at St. John's to prepare and serve a family-style meal to the residents of the Children's Inn on the NIH campus. The event was a success!!