CMU’s Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, Camps and Conferences and Alternative Breaks will be hosting programs and have multiple volunteer opportunities for those who will be in town.

“Over the summer, students leave, but, the ones who do stay up here, we really need them to get involved. Volunteering creates a great opportunity and gives students a way to become involved with an organization,” Volunteer Center Graduate Assistant Jason Vasquez said. “There are many ways to get involved over the summer: soup kitchens, the food pantry, and there is always a need for volunteers from students and community members.”

The Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center offers summer programs in which students can volunteer on Orgsync or in the Bovee University Center Office.

“Anyone can volunteer individually or with a group," Vasquez said. "We really do rely on students. Our main focus is on students, to provide them the opportunity to serve the community."

According to Belleville senior Nicole Infante, who serves as the Volunteer Center community outreach student coordinator, there is a wide range of volunteer opportunities.

“We hold different programs over the summer, especially (programs) that lean more toward the environment, homelessness and hunger,” Infante said. “We are trying to get more volunteers over the summer, and are encouraging students to volunteer with the community. A lot of our important organizations work with hunger and homelessness, all of which rely heavily on volunteers who are students.”

Opportunities include The Plant a Row for the Hungry Campaign, Community Compassion Network Food Pantry, The Isabella County Commission on Aging, The Chippewa Watershed Conservancy and nearby soup kitchens.

“The Plant a Row for the Hungry Campaign grew and donated 500 pounds of fresh produce last year. Our goal is to match and exceed that number,” Infante said. “For this program, we partner with Campus Grow and plant food at one of their sites. It is a great opportunity to donate food.”

Through the Volunteer Center, the Alternative Breaks program will host five summer alternative breaks, and between 60 and 70 groups are scheduled to be on campus throughout the summer through Camps and Conferences.

The Assistant Director of Events & Conference Services, Chad Garland, coordinates the residential camps and a majority of the summer camps.

“We work with the School of Music to bring in band camps at the end of July and beginning of August,” Garland said. “There are also high school leadership opportunities; there is a big mix of groups that come in and visit the campus over the summer.”

The commonly known and biggest event in Mount Pleasant over the summer will take place next month; the Michigan Special Olympics Statewide Summer Games, during which Garland will be expecting at least 4,500 people.

“CMU hosts and helps support the Michigan Special Olympics the week after Memorial Day weekend, from Thursday, May 30 until Saturday, June 1,” Garland said. “(The games) will take place all around campus, and especially at all the athletic facilities. At the Special Olympics, there are many events with many volunteer opportunities.”