Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

Often as college students, we are busy preparing for life outside of school. Volunteering is an opportunity to do this, whether the purpose is to learn new skills, help out the community or even just add a line to a resume. Luckily, there are many opportunities to volunteer in or around Monmouth. I’ve listed some examples below to help spark an idea.

On Campus

Western has a food pantry that is open and free to members of the community in an effort to combat the food insecurity prevalent among students. It is run by volunteers, and needs them to be open during regular hours on weekdays. Contact them at foodpantry@wou.edu or at foodpantryvolunteers@wou.edu.

Western also runs a program called Alternative Break, where the school collaborates with other organizations to bring positive social change. The program takes place over spring break, is student run and has different options for locations. Applications are currently open, though students should note they close on the 28th of October. Students can apply or find out more at https://wou.edu/slcd/ab/

Off Campus

The Willamette Humane Society is located in Salem and has many volunteer positions that are perfect for animal lovers, from adoption ambassadors to kennel buddies. The Humane Society depends on having a large number of volunteers, meaning many positions have ongoing availability. For more information, visit https://whs4pets.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/

The city of Monmouth also has several volunteering positions available, some of which can potentially offer valuable job training and skills such as positions on city boards or commissions. Other opportunities include park and festival projects, the public library and the police department. For the full list, see www.ci.monmouth.or.us/

For those who are willing to make strong commitments to help communities, the cities of Dallas and Corvallis also have the option of being a volunteer firefighter. Volunteers do have to meet a certain fitness standard as well as attend the occasional mandatory training. More information can be found at www.corvallisoregon.gov/fire/page/volunteer-firefighter-information and https://www.dallasor.gov/163/Volunteer-Division

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu