In the past three years, SIUC student Maxine Hill has helped clean up Carbondale, assisted in raising money for Jerry’s kids, worked side by side with area teachers in the classroom and danced with inmates at the Harrisburg Correctional Facility; all of which she volunteered to do without pay.

It’s really fulfilling to get out into the community and meet people, she said. It is even more fulfilling to help those in the community that need help.

Hill, along with approxiatemently 3,000 other SIUC students, spends

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time each semester volunteering time for community activities in the area through the Saluki Volunteer Corps.

The campus organization gives students the opportunity to become active in the community, Kathie Lorentz, coordinator of Student Development, said.

Volunteers find that it very satisfying to help people and really get get involved with the community, she said.

The corps was founded in 1989 after an Illinois mandate was issued that requiring all public educational institutions to create a student volunteer program.

Over the last year the corps has increased from 2,000 to 3,000 volunteers, 500 of which have joined this semester.

Though the student volunteer their time without material award, Lorenz said there is much that can be gained from the program.

If a volunteer completes 30 hours of service a year, a one hour non-academic credit will be awarded to their transcript. Lorenz said though the credit does not go toward a volunteer’s academic career, it can help them after college.

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Most employees want to know what students did outside of the required college curriculum, she said. They like to see what students did that they didn’t have to do.

Many of the projects are solely the creation of the corps. But the corps also does volunteer work through other agencies, Shelby Hoover, graduate assistant in student development said.

Tonya Kalafut, recreation coordinator for the Carbondale Park District said the corps has helped on many occasions with city projects.

In the past the corps has helped the park district on hayrides, Easter egg hunts and other community projects.

Without their help, the events they have been involved in would not have went so smoothly, she said. They are a great bunch of people to work with.

Hoover said besides the 20 on-going projects, the corps has a busy fall planned.

The corps will be involved in more than 15 projects including the K’s Merchandise food drive, the Lewis School PTA Carnival, WSIU/FM record sale and the Book For Every Home For Children at Head Start program.

We try to help with every event we can help with, Hoover said.

For more information on the Saluki Volunteer Corps, call 453-5714 or the The Leadership Center, 536-7768.