{"id":6052,"date":"2026-02-04T13:53:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/?p=6052"},"modified":"2026-02-04T16:21:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T20:21:42","slug":"volunteering-is-a-love-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/2026\/02\/04\/volunteering-is-a-love-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteering Is a Love Language"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Syracuse is more than just the place we go to class. It\u2019s the city we walk through every day, grab coffee in, make friends and call home, even if it&#8217;s just for now. Volunteering is one way to give that love back, and it can be as easy as showing up for an hour or two. Here are a few student-friendly ways to spread love in the community this month and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check Out the Shaw Center<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not sure where to start? The <a href=\"https:\/\/shawcenter.syr.edu\">Shaw Center for Public and Community Service<\/a> is Syracuse University\u2019s hub for all things academic and community engagement. They help connect students with local organizations, turning volunteering into real-world experience that supports your classes, research and overall Syracuse life. Even if your calendar is packed, there are flexible, student-friendly opportunities that make it easy to get involved on your own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Starting Small Still Counts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Showing love through volunteering is about showing up, not overcommitting. Many community organizations understand this and welcome students for short shifts or one-time opportunities. Even giving an hour or two of your day makes a big difference!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These can look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Helping organize donations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assisting at community meals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supporting local events or drives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re on campus without a car like me, there are still plenty of walkable ways to help the local area like the <a href=\"https:\/\/rmhcny.org\/\">Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York<\/a>&nbsp; and <a href=\"https:\/\/rescuemissionalliance.org\/\">Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of these opportunities are flexible and student-friendly, especially for those balancing classes and work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turn Everyday Kindness Into Community Care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the simplest ways to volunteer are already built into your routine, and you didn\u2019t even notice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Donating gently used clothes, books, household essentials or winter gear.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supporting local businesses and nonprofits when you can.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Writing thank-you notes for campus or community workers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Love shows up in consistency and intention, not just formal sign-ups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Share Your Skills, Not Just Your Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone has something they\u2019re good at, and chances are someone else could benefit from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you enjoy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Writing, design or social media, look into how you can help promote a local organization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tutoring or mentoring, explore how to support students in the area.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Art, music or fitness, consider volunteering to teach in community programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Using your skills can make volunteering feel more rewarding while still boosting your resume!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make It Social<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Volunteering doesn\u2019t have to be a solo activity! Grab your friends to make a fun activity you\u2019ll stick with or make new friends on your volunteer adventures. Spreading love is better when it\u2019s shared!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why It Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>February is all about love, and volunteering is the perfect way to show yours to Syracuse. From one-time opportunities to ongoing involvement, there are so many ways to give back without overloading your schedule. Whichever way you choose to help, showing up for your community is <em>always<\/em> worth it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Written By Julia Seitz G\u201926, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article is for reference purposes only and is not deemed an endorsement by Syracuse University.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syracuse is more than just the place we go to class. It\u2019s the city we walk through every day, grab coffee in, make friends and call home, even if it&#8217;s just for now. Volunteering is one way to give that love back, and it can be as easy as showing up for an hour or&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":367,"featured_media":6043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,30],"tags":[78,7,86,352],"class_list":["post-6052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beyond-the-hill","category-campus-life","tag-off-campus","tag-things-to-do","tag-tips","tag-volunteer-opportunities"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/367"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6052"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6061,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6052\/revisions\/6061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}