Organizations gathered for the volunteer fair on Wednesday to help students discover and become involved in new volunteering opportunities on the UA Mall.

Hosted by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, the volunteer fair welcomed organizations from around Tucson to recruit students.

The organizations presented information with posters while people talked to interested individuals, promoting their organizations and pointing out the benefits of volunteering.

Bryan Namba, VolunteerUA executive director, said the volunteer fair is hosted every semester so students can learn about nonprofit organizations, student clubs and other service opportunities.
Organizations included animal shelters, those working with children and those working for sustainability.

“We bring them to campus to promote their organization and message to campus, just so they can get volunteers,” Mamba said. “Some are looking for long-time volunteers, some are looking for one-time volunteers, interns or various positions.”

Students walked throughout the various tents mid-morning to explore the volunteer options the UA offers and to talk with the current volunteers who came to promote their organizations.

Francisco Fouts-Tupikan, a pre-business sophomore, is a long-term volunteer and volunteers once a week at an elementary school.

“I like to help out,” Fouts-Tupikan said. “It’s nice to give back to the community. It’s nice to see a smile on someone else’s face that needs a bit of help.”

According to a UnitedHealth Group survey in its Health and Volunteering Study, volunteering has positive aspects, and of those who volunteered in the last 12 months, 94 percent reported that volunteering improved their mood.

“Whenever I need someone’s help, and I get it, it makes me feel happy that someone is supporting me,” Fouts-Tupikan said. “So, it’s all about paying it forward.”

Cynthia Hernandez, an environmental sciences junior, is a member of Students for Sustainability and helped out at the volunteer fair. She said that although there are preferences people have when volunteering, they should get involved with whatever is available to them.

“I get involved with the community in any way I can, whether it be environmentally or [for] social justice,” Hernandez said.

More information regarding organizations students may be interested in volunteering for can be found on the VolunteerUA website or the organizations’ websites.
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