Students spend Saturday giving back to the community

Junior Brandon Fishburn said smiles and thank yous could not have been a better reward for the work a group of student volunteers completed Saturday. \nOn Saturday morning, students in association with the Indiana Public Interest Research Group and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness spent the day volunteering in the Bloomington community with various organizations. \n“The weather was great, and the cause was treated nicely by it,” Fishburn said. “Mother Nature welcomed us well.”\nFreshman Elizabeth Williams said she is grateful to everyone involved in making the day a success.\nFishburn, who is also the INPIRG Hunger and Homelessness coordinator, said most IU students do not usually wake up early on a Saturday morning, but that is exactly what almost 40 volunteers did.\nGathering in Woodburn Hall, students enjoyed a light breakfast and an opening statement by Joel Rekas, the executive director of the Shalom Community Center, before they volunteered at places including the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, The Rise, Middle Way House, Backstreet Mission, Hoosier Hills Food Bank and the Shalom center.\n“You really have no idea how much it means to the organizations to go and help out on a Saturday,” Rekas told the students in his address.\nThe Shalom center serves as a day shelter for the homeless, providing tools and services for those in need. The center relies on volunteer support to keep going, Rekas said after thanking those who would be volunteering that day.\nSenior Joey Reginaldi volunteered at The Rise, a local shelter for battered women. He spent time reorganizing the common area and donations The Rise receives. \n“I received a great vibe,” he said. “It’s not that we showed up and they were like, ‘Oh, great volunteers.’ No, they seemed very glad to have us.”\nAmong its many projects, INPIRG helps raise money and provide aid for efforts to prevent hunger and homelessness in Monroe County.\nBoth Fishburn and Williams spent their time at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.\n“The stuff you volunteer for is not necessarily crucial stuff,” Williams said, “but for a lot of the organizations, it is background stuff that they just don’t have time to do. Constructing desks and moving materials and furniture were some of the responsibilities of the volunteers.\n“We provided some errands and some things they needed to get done and busy work they didn’t have the manpower to do,” Fishburn said. “It was a really, really good experience.”