Serve 912 kicked off the spring semester with a week full of service opportunities for Georgia Southern University students on Jan.17. 

Sign-ups for the service trips went live on Jan.13, which allowed students to choose their desired service shift. The Friends of The Library Thrift Bookstore and the First United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen were just two out of the 14 volunteer opportunities available for the first week. 

Students were assigned to organize, shelve, and label books at the thrift bookstore on Friday. Junior trip leader, Grace Lautzenhiser, thinks the service trips are great for the community’s overall growth. 

“It’s a really good thing for the community. Statesboro is blossoming in general and so this would be a really big step for them to have a really good bookstore – small business,” Lautzenhiser said. “So, coming out here or anywhere in the community would just overall help the community.”

At the First United Methodist Soup Kitchen, GS students were able to be hands-on in the process of feeding the community on Saturday. To-go boxes and plates were filled with food that had been prepared that morning. I spoke with sophomore trip leader, Wesley Locus, about his personal experience and feelings toward this service opportunity.

“It is very rewarding. I think oftentimes it can also just be something to do, to be active in the community,” Locus said. You will meet so many people and it just opens up so many great opportunities. So, I definitely encourage students to do it if they can.”

Weekly trips are free for students and also transportation is provided. Sign-ups will open on the Friday prior to the following week’s service opportunities. Trips for the spring semester will end on April 29.