Sitting on a table in room 315 of the MSC, small fliers with the caption “A Call to Serve: Will you answer the call?” above a ringing phone waited to be picked up.
On Wednesday morning, judging by the low attendance at the first informational meeting for University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Students of Service, a lot of these were not being taken.
Having just received a Learn and Serve grant worth $420,000 from the Corporation for National and Community Service this meeting was intended to begin fulfilling a portion of the grant.
Megan Hill, an AmeriCorps Vista Volunteer who is helping coordinate the project, explained that while the grant is mainly focused on education, foreclosure prevention and financial literacy, another facet is the creation of a student leadership team. Hill explained this as being a group of students who “drive service initiatives amongst the general student bodies.”
“It’s not an official student organization at this point,” Hill said. “It’s just kind of a team of students interested in getting the word out about service within the parameters of the grant.”
“The student group is also … institutionalizing the project so that it’s sustainable over a long period of time, because it makes sense for UMSL to develop relationships with the municipalities right around it,” Hill said.
Along with generating awareness and sustainability, this group also holds the power to distribute small grants to student organizations willing to serve in the Normandy area.
“A student organization would come to the team with an application to work with a non-profit in the area and that team would delegate the money…” Hill said. “I think there are seven of those starting January that are going to be dished out.”
Wednesday’s meeting was the initial starting point of this team, yet only three students attended. Even though the turn-out was low, those helping to get the organization off the ground are confident in its success.
“I think once the projects become more concrete … there will be more interest from students.” Kay Gasen-Thenhaus, director for the project said. “What we’re hoping to do is launch some projects during November Month of Service…[these] are some concrete ways that I think this month students can see ways to get involved, and we’ll just continue to build from there.”
She explained that one of the projects is going to be a property clean-up of a house that fell into disrepair due to foreclosure, and also, weather permitting, on Sunday they would be doing work in St. Vincent’s Park.
Shea Kelly, one of the students attending the meeting, said they are still working to build interest in the program among students, and that those already participating are “showing incredible enthusiasm.”
Hill mentioned that she had received a lot of positive email correspondence about participation, however scheduling conflicts regarding Wednesday’s meeting arose with the majority of them. In hopes of gathering a larger crowd, another meeting has been scheduled for next Thursday at noon in the SGA Chambers.
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