RUPA to host annual Scarlet Days of Service event virtually in collaboration with Rutgers Alternative Breaks

The Rutgers University Programming Association (RUPA), in conjunction with Rutgers University Alternative Breaks (RUAB), is virtually hosting Scarlet Days of Service from March 13 to 27, with limited in-person volunteering options available, according to RUPA’s website.

The Fall 2020 semester was the first time Scarlet Day of Service was transformed from a one-day event to a week of virtual volunteering, with approximately 500 participants taking part, said Nicole Williams, the associate director of major events and programs at Rutgers Student Centers and Activities and an advisor to the RUPA Community Service Committee.

While there were some obstacles moving the event online, the team was able to ultimately overcome the challenges and provide socially distanced opportunities to students as well, said School of Arts and Sciences junior Carlos Ortiz, the director of the RUPA Community Service Committee.

This semester, participants are invited to find an opportunity and complete the recommended hours either on their own time or as part of RUAB, where students are encouraged to partake in discussions regarding their service with site leaders, according to RUPA’s website.

In the past, participants chose from many shared service experiences across local communities including cleaning up beaches and parks, gardening, packaging items in food pantries and working with libraries and schools, Williams said.

The majority of opportunities are now virtual, sponsored by community and campus partners and student organizations such as Be My Eyes, an application where sighted volunteers can provide visual assistance to blind and low-vision individuals, and Rutgers Student Food Pantry, where students can serve as social media ambassadors, according to RUPA’s website.

Off-Campus Living and Community Partnerships is also sponsoring an opportunity where participants can print out a photo of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in his knitted mittens and take pictures with it throughout the day to share with residents of long-term care facilities who have been isolated during the pandemic, according to RUPA’s website.

Another organization volunteers can work with is VocaliD, where participants are asked to read books or articles into a microphone so that their vocal DNA can be used to design a synthetic voice for people who have lost their voice or have speech impairments, Ortiz said.

Williams said that RUPA will use the feedback it received from the fall Scarlet Days of Service event to guide both its current and future efforts.

“We will definitely consider ways to incorporate virtual opportunities in the future for Scarlet Day of Service, especially if this means we will be able to better address community need and provide greater access for students and community participants,” she said.

One change that volunteers from the fall should expect to see with the spring event is the introduction of a partnership with RUAB, Ortiz said.

“We are working with RUAB to bring a sense of community back to Scarlet Days of Service by connecting students with one another for their service projects,” he said.

While volunteers can complete their service hours directly with the organization of their choice, RUPA has specifically partnered with RUAB to create the personal bonds and connections that people used to make at the in-person Scarlet Day of Service, said School of Arts and Sciences junior Nabiha Sherali, the assistant director of RUPA Community Service.

Since students do not have the opportunity to sit at the physical site and converse with their peers about the impact of their volunteering, those who volunteer with RUAB can join in virtual discussions with assigned site leaders, she said. This will allow volunteers to relate their service experience to the bigger picture of the pandemic, where the needs of certain communities have been greater.

Traditionally, students participating in RUAB would be joining a semester-long program focused on community service, and then would travel somewhere within the U.S. or abroad for a week-long volunteer excursion during the winter, summer or spring breaks, said Rosemary Genao, a member of Leadership and Experiential Learning by the Student Centers and Activities.

“The transition to a virtual environment prompted RUAB to shift its focus and really think about how we could serve our own local communities right here at home in New Jersey (and) the tri-state area,” she said.

To further encompass the Scarlet Days of Service principles of education, direct service and reflection, volunteers are asked to attend a virtual pre-service meeting with RUAB site leaders, where they will participate in meaningful conversations together, Genao said.

Those who choose to volunteer outside of RUAB will still have an opportunity to reflect on their experience in a post-service reflection survey, where students will be asked about the role they played in their service and community as well as what they learned, she said.

Regardless of how participants choose to volunteer, Sherali said that the goal of Scarlet Days of Service is to show people that giving back to the community can be done even from the comfort of one’s own home.

“We may sometimes feel helpless sitting at home, (but) with so many options out there, there are still ways to actively engage in the community and help make an impact on someone’s life virtually,” she said.