The residents of the Community Service House have more than just mealtimes and bathrooms in common–– they share an active passion for volunteering. As part of the larger Interest House Community, these community-minded students chose to live together to support one another and encourage service on campus.
Each year the members of the Community Service House, also known as the Co-op, decide what their focus will be on, whether environmental issues or health concerns.
“We determine the goals and direct changes each year,” Resident Assistant Stephanie Silver said.
The Co-op residents have chosen local stream restoration as their first group project this year. They plan to encourage other students’ involvement at the Interest House Community Block Party on Saturday, Sep. 20.
This endeavor is the first of many, according to Silver, a junior. The Co-op is looking forward to “trick-or-canning,” a Halloween-time tradition that raises canned goods for the underprivileged.
The Co-op plans to “hold one all-campus project each month and have several ongoing ones in the Interest House Community during the semester,” said Silver.
Additionally, they partner with the Volunteer Club and Center for Community Service to advertise service opportunities. They hope to partner with first-year sections to put on community projects.
The residents are not just passionate about encouraging other Whitties to volunteer. Each of them has personal interest in a variety of endeavors throughout Walla Walla.
“Each of us pledged 26-and-a-half community service hours this semester: we’re kind of random,” resident junior Maia Hansen said, laughing.
Kara McKay, another resident of the Co-op, said she volunteers at the S.O.S. Clinic as a physician’s shadow and works with uninsured people in Walla Walla.
“It’s cool because everyone who works there is a volunteer, even the doctors,” said McKay, a sophomore. As a pre-med student, McKay is happy to have found an outlet to combine her future interests with community service.
Living in the Co-op with other like-minded students provides a tight-knit, supportive group for students such as McKay who want to continue volunteering throughout their life. Their dedication is evident in their eagerness to pick up forgotten, but no less important, projects on campus.
“We take the leftovers from Prentiss Dining Hall to the Walla Walla Senior Center,” resident Sarah Reichardt said. Were it not for the Co-op, this project would not still be going on.
The residents of the Co-op play an important role in fostering community service on campus. They also serve as resources for students looking to help out around Walla Walla and are excited to meet other volunteer enthusiasts.
“Feel free to stop by and hang out anytime,” Silver said.
More information about Community Service House-sponsored projects will be distributed on the listservs throughout the year.
