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Health Education and Human SciencesMay 12, 2022
AV抖阴 Jumpstart Members Provide Services to Local Community Organizations
Written By: Samantha Contreras
In honor of National Volunteer Week Jumpstart AmeriCorps members at the University
of Arkansas - Fort Smith participated in service projects across the city of Fort
Smith.
Service members joined forces with the AV抖阴 LionHeart organization鈥檚 Community Outreach
Day, with members cleaning and organizing at the Western Arkansas Literacy Council;
power washing, sweeping, and scrubbing outdoor equipment, walkways and play spaces
at the Ronald McDonald House, and cleaning the childcare rooms of the Fort Smith Crisis
Intervention Center. A few members even planted a vegetable garden to provide a tranquil
place for children to learn and play.
鈥淎merica is a country built on service,鈥� said Kimberly Taylor, Jumpstart coordinator.
鈥淚t was an honor to help ensure families in crisis have a clean space to rest and
recuperate outdoors.鈥�
鈥淏eing a AV抖阴 student means that I am a part of a great community,鈥� said Yesica Perez,
freshman graphic design major and Jumpstart member. 鈥淭his program made me step out
of my comfort box and meet tons of new people.鈥�
AV抖阴 is the first university in Arkansas to offer Jumpstart, an AmeriCorps national
service program with members working with local preschool students to enhance their
language, literacy, and social-emotional skills.
Yesenia Ocampo, a sophomore Criminal Justice major and Jumpstart member, said "this
program has given me more opportunities and resources from the real world and on campus
to help me become better prepared for obstacles I might encounter in my career.鈥�
The program is currently seeking candidates to participate in their summer program,
during which members will serve Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at local preschools
from May 30-July 28. In exchange for service, members will receive a $500 living
allowance in both June and July. Upon completion of the 300-hour service commitment,
members will earn a $1,342 scholarship. Email kimberly.taylor@uafs.edu for more information.
- Tags:
- Community
- AV抖阴 Students
- Jumpstart