Anyone who wandered into Sternburger Auditorium on Sept. 5 might have mistaken it for a middle-school science fair. Imagine the scene: the space is littered with cardboard displays plastered with bubble letters and photographs, the rows are crowded with chattering people, and at the door you find two smiling blondes handing out lollipops.

As deceiving as it might be, this is not a middle-school event. Welcome to Guilford’s Eighth Annual Volunteer Fair.

The Volunteer Fair is an annual event sponsored by Project Community. It is a chance for Guilford students to find out about the plethora of volunteer activities available to them. The fair also gives the students an opportunity to speak to informed representatives from each of the programs represented.

As usual there was a great turnout at this year’s fair. Eighty students came through before the end of the first hour. Many students are drawn to Guilford because of programs like this that highlight the school’s focus on community involvement.

First-year Cesar Weston said, “Service is necessary for a healthy soul, and it is an important part of my college experience.”

“It is great to see that there are so many Guilford students willing to help out,” first-year Erika Heakin said.

Student coordinator, junior Ampofo Darko, organized this year’s program. He put in many long hours, and the final result was a gathering of 36 diverse volunteer groups from the Triad area. The different areas of service that were represented at the fair were as follows: developmental and physical handicaps, diversity/cross culture, health, housing and homelessness, human services, nature and environment, prison and sentence alternative programs, senior citizens, and youth services.

“Volunteering is your chance to really make a difference and positively affect someone’s life—especially your own,” veteran project community worker and Guilford junior Jill Burchelle said.

Community service is an invaluable way in which to enhance the goodness of your world. Please contact Project Community and get involved.

Project Community is located on the bottom floor of Founders and can be reached at ext. 2137.