MUN students Make Midterm Matter with volunteer blitz
Memorial University has the week off but about 100 students wanting to do some good went to school anyway on Friday.
They were split into teams and sent around St. John's to help community groups and non-profits in need of assistance.
The event is called Make Midterm Matter and it started about 12 years ago after a MUN employee noticed students — especially the ones from outside the province — were lonely.
The school wanted a way to connect people who felt they weren't making friends in their classes.
"We give them a place to go. We give them transport and a lunch for the day and that's used as a gateway basically to further their volunteer involvement and further their involvement with the community locally," said organizer Shannon Lewis-Simpson.
Strangers and friends were bused out to about a dozen different locations ranging from retirement homes to the Fluvarium.
Into the community
Home Again Furniture Bank hosted a group of five students for the first time on Friday.
They helped handle shipments of furniture going out to people in need.
"I think it's a really good thing going on over here because lots of people may not be able to get the furniture they want, and this is a really good opportunity for the people who can give — and the ones that need — to come together to help each other out in the community," said Abdullah Almasud, a first-year student who spent the day at Home Again, loading and unloading furniture.
He's been at the university five months and was told by a friend that the event was a good way to meet people.
"We find that everyone who volunteers with us always wants to get more involved and we thought MUN would be a great opportunity for that," said Amy Tulk, the director of the furniture bank.
With 200 people on the group's furniture waiting list, Tulk said she can use the extra help and will be signing up for Make Midterm Matter again.
"I mean, many hands make light work but today is going so smooth. It's beautiful," she said.
