Are there any service or volunteer experiences that involve health and health care?

Volunteering is a great way to demonstrate your interest in working with people.

Campus activities or clubs with a focus on volunteering:

• Campus Kitchens is a favorite among students because of the flexibility in cooking, preparing or serving a meal to individuals in the Canton community that would otherwise not have one.  Ideally you would participate in serving or delivering meals to interact with the individuals who participate as opposed to your fellow college students who help with dishes or cooking.
• Advocates is a great way to learn more about how to listen to someone in crisis.  This club offers substantial training to students.  Once you are a trained Advocate, you have the option to carry the phone and staff the Advocates hotline, a supportive and confidential resource for those who have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence.
• SLU EMS is the campus emergency response squad.  Their team is made up of first responders and EMTs.  While some shifts are paid, there are also volunteer shifts.
• Honorable mention: While not a club, students enjoy working or volunteering as a Student Athletic Trainer in the Athletic Training Room. While most student workers take the course Introduction to Sports Medicine (spring semester; part of the Exercise Science and Sport Studies Minor), the only requirement to get involved is CPR/AED/First Aid certification. Brian Atkin is the Head Athletic Trainer and is very responsive to email inquiries about shadowing, volunteering, or  working in the training room on campus.

Community organizations (contact them directly):

• Hospice & Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley accepts both indirect and direct volunteers.  Indirect volunteers do not have interactions with patients and families, but help with mailings, fund-raising and educational events or outside maintenance of the play and nature area at their facility.  Direct volunteers go into patient homes.  They have different roles including visiting, providing entertainment like playing a game or doing a puzzle with the patient or family members, or legacy volunteers who help patients with life review.  Legacy volunteers might listen to and record stories, write letters or help compile photos or other memorabilia.
• Church & Community Program is a collaboration between several Canton businesses and churches that accept donations of food and clothing to provide needed items to the Canton community.  Volunteers staff the thrift store, deliver food, organize and clean, and interact with customers.
• Volunteering at the Postdam Humane Society animal shelter is well-suited for students interested in veterinary school.  Volunteers help with animal enrichment, cleaning, yard work, reception, event planning and more. 
• Bittersweet Farm is another animal-focused volunteer activity.  As a small local farm, there are always chores or projects to complete.  Students often enjoy helping during the spring with piglet care. 
• Canton Potsdam Hospital in Potsdam is a great place to volunteer because you interact with patients and learn more about the hospital environment.  Volunteers assist mainly by visiting with patients and alerting staff to patients’ needs.
• St. Lawrence County Office of the Aging provides home delivered meals to seniors (Meals on Wheels).  They are always looking for volunteers to help with meal delivery, preparation, or assistance in the local dining areas.

Courses at SLU with a Community-Based Learning (CBL) component:

You’ll spend time in the community engaging with others in ways that enhance your classroom learning.  When listing these on your resume, these are "courses", not "volunteer" or "service" work.

• Health & Wellness Coaching: This CBL course helps students learn communication skills needed as a health professional (including motivational interviewing) and how to apply them in a community setting.  In addition, students increase their understanding of the role of different members of the health care team, gain perspective on the nature of chronic disease, and learn about topics that affect their personal wellness and that of their peers. This course is offered every spring. 
• Health Coaches Internship:  This internship coordinated by  Canton-Potsdam Hospital aims to prevent patient readmission and to improve individual healthcare outcomes. SLU students are assigned recently discharged patients with chronic health conditions and meet with them weekly to help them set and achieve health goals. Every student that completes Health & Wellness Coaching is eligible for and guaranteed an internship. 

Community organizations to connect with via the CBL office*:

• Deep Root Learning Center is an alternative school for children in kindergarten through high school.  Volunteers can help with instruction or support students.
• ARC Jefferson provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities.  Volunteers can support individuals during community arts or fitness classes.
• Ogdensburg Boys & Girls Club is an afterschool clubhouse for students to play sports, work on homework or be creative.  Volunteers serve as mentors and assist with activities.
• Potsdam Mentoring Program is a program supporting middle school children who are struggling socially or academically.  Mentors help with homework and participate in group activities.
• United Helpers houses seniors who have memory problems or are building the skills to return home.  Volunteers interact with residents and assist activities staff in running activities for the residents.
• Seaway Prevention Council staffs a community room for individuals in recovery.  They also run in-person mental health and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, as well as Triple P Parenting meetings over Zoom.  Volunteers interact with individuals in the community room and can participate in meetings.

* Contact the CBL office at cbl@stlawu.edu  to get involved!

Are you interested in one of these volunteer opportunities?  How do you start the process? 

Connect with SLU clubs/organizations and the noted community organizations directly, or work with the CBL office for the noted opportunities.  For further assistance, you can email volunteerservices@stlawu.edu, cbl@stlawu.edu, Jane Kring jkring@stlawu.edu, or Kari Heckman kheckman@stlawu.edu.