Director Gloria Aparicio Blackwell, assistant director Tricia Homer, and intern Ka’Von McCoy (Right to left) pose outside of Marie Mount hall which houses the Office of Community Engagement. the OCE will be organizing opportunities for university employees to engage in community service over the summer as part of an initiative created by Governor Hogan.
From July to December, the University of Maryland community can contribute to Gov. Larry Hogan’s service initiative, Maryland Unites: Day of Service, which offers four hours of paid leave for state employees to volunteer with a nonprofit.
The campaign, announced in June, is a response to the unity demonstrated by Baltimore citizens who volunteered in the wake of protests this spring, according to a news release. This university will participate as Terps in Support of Maryland Unites.
“Gov. Hogan really understood how much people wanted to be a part of the solution,” said Gloria Blackwell, this university’s community engagement director.
Although Hogan’s initiative was initially based in Baltimore, it was later amended to include nonprofit organizations outside the city. Terps in Support of Maryland Unites wants to make a substantial impact on the area surrounding this university, said Jewel Washington, human resources assistant vice president.
“Our involvement in the initiative stems from a desire to be immersed in both the local community and its surrounding counties,” said Tricia Homer, community engagement assistant director. “It’s really an institutional priority.”
The office will provide a variety of options for volunteer work, including outdoor gardening, feeding the homeless and construction. Other project choices will be food and storage prep at Capital Area Food Bank, as well as student mentoring and tutoring at GapBuster, Inc. The hope is that this list will continue to grow as word spreads throughout the community, Blackwell said.
“It’ll be great to have students and staff, who aren’t usually together outside of the classroom, working as one to help those in need,” said Washington.
Service opportunities will range from interdepartmental group projects with more than 65 volunteers to individual assignments where participants can work on their own, Homer said.
“There’s really a project available for everyone,” Homer said.
Additionally, Terps in Support of Maryland Unites will be partnering with the Student Homecoming Committee and College Park Scholars during their 20th Annual Service Day this fall, Washington said.
“Often at this university, you see different departments doing things in silos and duplicating efforts,” Homer said. “Our office is big on partnership, and working across departments through community service will help promote unity.”
Although the service days Hogan identified were originally set to go until the end of August, the university will be offering volunteer opportunities through December, Homer said. They will continue to update both faculty and students as more service opportunities become available during the semester.
“This is really exciting, and we’re looking for a great turnout,” Blackwell said. “It’s going to be great to see all the ways us Terps can give back to the community.”
