Community Service

It says something about Trinity--and the kind of students the College attracts--that the Community Outreach volunteer organization is the largest student club on campus.

Community Outreach links Trinity undergraduates with projects that involve tutoring, youths at risk, adult issues, and local and national programs such as Boys & Girls Clubs. Each semester about 500 students volunteer regularly, while 600 or more participate in one-time events.

The student commitment to community service is grounded in institutional commitment. In addition to supporting Community Outreach and other student efforts, the College's Community Service Office acts as a clearinghouse for outside organizations that are looking for volunteers and works with Trinity faculty to develop opportunities for integrating volunteer work into academic classes. Corey Bragar, who as a sophomore tutored at a Hartford elementary school as part of a philosophy course, says that the service she was providing as a volunteer was an excellent exercise in developing communication skills, a major thrust of the class.

As in Corey's case, volunteer work or support of community service is often a natural extension of other activities, such as academic work or social events that are fund-raisers for good causes or people in need. For other students it becomes a pivotal part of their Trinity experience. Some choose to live in Praxis, Trinity's residence hall for students with a strong interest in community service.

Praxis resident Jen Hill did an internship where she worked with disadvantaged teenage mothers trying to balance family responsibilities with attending college. "It's amazing to see what different people have to go through to get to the same point in life," says Jen, thinking about the women who were exactly her age.

Tim Plant, who "stumbled into" volunteering in the spring of his freshman year, has tutored children at Hartford's Betances Elementary School, painted houses on nearby Allen Place, traveled to Mississippi during spring break to build houses with Habitat for Humanity, and has been a leader of Trinity's volunteer programs for people with AIDS. At Peter's Retreat, an AIDS home, he has been a friend to some of the terminally ill residents. He says that after his designated "buddy" passed away last year, a member of the staff at the home thanked him, saying that Tim's time with the late resident meant a lot. Says Tim, "It was nice to know I made a difference."

Tim, an English major, chose to minor in "Studies in Progressive American Social Movements," an interdisciplinary program that requires students to do an internship with a community-based organization. He says, "Being at Trinity and being right in Hartford there are so many options and areas to get involved and so many meaningful ways to get out into the community."