On Tuesday, November 29^th, the students, faculty and staff of UCCI were given the opportunity to learn firsthand about the tremendous work being undertaken by numerous organisations working in our community.  This year’s “UCCI Annual Service Day” hosted 11 nonprofit and community service organisations: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cayman AIDS Foundation, CI Cadet Corps, CI Crisis Centre, CI Cancer Society, CI Humane Society, CI Red Cross, Circle K, Estella Scott-Roberts Foundation, NCVO and the Optimist Club.

“UCCI is committed to offering its students a variety of opportunities for growth and development, both inside and outside the classroom,” explained Mr. Mitch Ebanks, Student Services Coordinator.  “It is our belief that the benefits and lessons that one learns through volunteerism are so unique that they cannot be replicated through other experiences,” he adds.

The participating organisations were able to showcase their work, as well as educate, raise awareness and recruit students all the while enjoying the breeze and relaxed atmosphere of the college’s outdoor square known as the Quad or the Courtyard.  Nearly 100 students, faculty and staff visited the booths, received information, and interacted with the 25+ volunteers representing the organisation.

“We were incredibly pleased to be asked to participate in this event as dissemination of information and educating the student body about the various programmes we run has always been one of our core mandates,” explained CI Red Cross Director, Jondo Obi. “As a charitable organisation, we are always in need of expanding our pool of volunteers and enhancing their knowledge and skills. We thoroughly believe that the youth of today are an excellent asset to our society and are the future leaders.  We were very pleased by the turnout and the number of students who showed interest in getting more involved in our community,” she adds.

As an additional incentive for participation, students who asked questions and showed genuine interest in learning more about the organisations were given a chance to fill out an “Annual Service Day Passport”.  Those who completed their passports by visiting all the booths were entered to win one of two prize packs featuring amazing gifts from: George Carvalho Beauty Salon, Bliss Living and Yoga, Subway, Frosted Robin Cupcakes, Hobbies and Books, Hollywood Theaters, Quizno’s Sub, Thai Orchid, the CI Red Cross, NCVO and the National Gallery.

“We are incredibly grateful to the numerous generous sponsors who contributed to the prize packs and helped us in raising the profile of the event with the students,” Mr. Ebanks said.  “For those of us who grew up doing community work we know that the rewards that come from giving one’s time to service projects is a prize in and of itself.  Unfortunately, what we find is that this sense of community service and volunteerism has taken a sharp decline in recent years, especially among our young people.  Our aim is to get back to that place where community service is something that is second nature and comes naturally as something that one simply does.  If what we saw today is any indication, these incentives help us grab attention, but it’s the work of these organizations that will get the students motivated and committed for the long run,” he explains.