Community service is more than just an alternative punishment to going to jail. It can be a worthwhile experience of volunteering and making the world a better place.
A variety of community service opportunities exist throughout the Syracuse community. From parks and recreation centers to homes for the elderly and soup kitchens. From working with the very old to the very young. From working every single day to just a few minutes a year.
“There is no lack of diversity in setting, volunteer job, tasks, populations to work with or social issues to address,” said Pamela Heintz, director of the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service [12] at Syracuse University.
These opportunities help to make the community a better place and benefit both the organizations and the volunteers themselves. “A most common comment from volunteers is that 'I got more out of this than I think the site/organization did,’” Heintz said.
Within the Syracuse community, there are both local organizations and community centers to volunteer at such as the Westcott Community Center [13] or the Sarah House [14]. There are also local chapters of national organizations always looking for people to help, at places like the American Red Cross [15] or Boys & Girls Club [16].
And for students, there is no lack of opportunity for community service, even on the SU hill and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry campus. A class offered through the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs [17] called Public Service Practicum has students work with specific organizations throughout the semester to serve the community. The Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service assists students to find the right type of volunteer opportunity and gives them all the resources they need to do community service. And the Alpha Phi Omega Community Service Fraternity [18] completes thousands of community service hours each semester.
It must be remembered that these are not all the opportunities for service in Syracuse, it is just a sample. Help is needed, and you can help change the world one service opportunity at a time.
“We all have not only the choice, but also the responsibility to participate,“ Heintz said.
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES IN SYRACUSE
Community Development
| Organization | Contact | Website |
| BISHOP FOERY FOUNDATION | 315-424-9378 | CatholicCharitiesUSA.org [19] |
| MEALS ON WHEELS | 315-478-5948 ext. 213 | Meals.org [20] |
| P.E.A.C.E. INC. | 315-470-3300 | Peace-CAA.org [21] |
| PERSON TO PERSON CITIZEN ADVOCACY ASSOCIATION | 315-472-9190 | PPC Advocacy.org [22] |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE | 315-476--1027 | CNY RonaldMcDonaldhouse.org [23] |
| THE SAMARITAN CENTER | 315-472-0650 | TheSamaritanCenter.com [24] |
| SARAH HOUSE | 315-475-1747 | SarahHouse.org [14] |
| SYRACUSE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | 315-422-2230 | SyracuseHabitat.org [25] |
| TEMPLE SOCIETY OF CONCORD FOOD BANK | 315-475-9952 | TempleConcord.org [26] |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL NEW YORK | 315-428-2246 | UnitedWay-CNY.org [27] |
| VINCENT HOUSE | 315-426-0481 | FrancisCorps.org [28] |
| WESTCOTT COMMUNITY CENTER | 315-478-8634 | WestcottCC.org [13] |
| WESTSIDE LEARNING CENTER | 315-435-4013 | Partners-in-Learning.org/WSLC [29] |
Medical Services
| Organization | Contact | Website |
| ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION | 315-472-4201 | Alz.org/CentralNewYork [30] |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | 315-234-2217 | SyrARC.org [15] |
| RESCUE MISSION | 315-472-6251 | RMsyr.org [31] |
| SALVATION ARMY | 315-475-1688 | SAsyr.org [32] |
| SYRACUSE VA MEDICAL CENTER | 315-425-4681 | Syracuse.VA.gov [33] |
Recreational Volunteering
| Organization | Contact | Website |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SYRACUSE, HAMILTON STREET | 315-468-0521 | BGCSyracuse.org [16] |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SYRACUSE, VAN BUREN STREET | 315-425-1965 | BGCSyracuse.org [16] |
| FRAZER SCHOOL | 315-473-4430 | Syracuse.NY.US/Parks/Volunteer [34] |
| SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER | 315-474-6823 | Syracuse.NY.US/Parks/Volunteer [34] |
| SYRACUSE YMCA | 315-474-6851 | YMCAofGreaterSyracuse.org [35] |
| WESTMORELAND COMMUNITY CENTER | 315-473-6754 | Syracuse.NY.US/Parks/Volunteer [34] |
Educational Opportunities
| Organization | Contact | Website |
| ALPHA PHI OMEGA, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY | Email webmaster@apophi.org [36] | APOPhi.org [37] |
| HENDRICKS CHAPEL | 315-443-5044 | Hendricks.syr.edu [38] |
| MARY ANN SHAW CENTER FOR PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE | 315-443-3051 | Students.syr.edu/CPCS [39] |
| PUBLIC SERVICE PRACTICUM, MAXWELL SCHOOL, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY | 315-443-4683 | Maxwell.syr.edu [40] |
| SUNY ESF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND SERVICE LEARNING | 315-470-4909 | ESF.edu/Students/Service [41] |
