Opportunities for NIU Students
NIU student volunteers are the heart of NIU Cares Day. On the day of the event, volunteers are provided a t-shirt and lunch and then shuttled to sites around DeKalb county to complete various projects for not-for-profit organizations and community agencies. Volunteers can expect to find themselves painting, cleaning, or providing support for events. NIU Cares Day volunteer teams will be assigned to project sites according to the needs of the organizations and the experience level of the teams. Organizations that NIU has 'cared' for in past years include:
- Salvation Army
- YMCA
- Opportunity House
- DeKalb Park District
- Art Attack
- Family Service Agency
- DeKalb & Sycamore Public Libraries
- District 428 School District
- Tails Humane Society
- St. Jude's Research Hospital
NIU Cares Day Registration
Volunteer registration is facilitated online at the NIU Cares Day web site. Students can register as individuals (register for Team-NIU Cares) or in teams. Volunteer teams should contain 10-15 people and must designate one Team Leader (the leader and primary contact person for the team). In order to include a team in the online registration system, the Team Leader must email niucaresday@niu.edu with the team name and the Team Leader's contact information (Full name, phone, email, and Z-ID). Team Leaders will attend an orientation prior to the event to receive event information and training. Some team ideas include:
- Student organization
- Residence Hall floor
- Study group
- Group of friends
- Carpool crew
- Co-workers
The registration deadline is Friday, March 22, 2013. NO ON-SITE REGISTRATION WILL BE AVAILABLE!
On the Day of the Event
NIU Cares Day is split into a separate morning and afternoon program. Volunteer check-in for the morning program begins at 7:00 am in the Holmes Student Center (noon for the afternoon program). Volunteers will check in individually and project sites will be assigned. Volunteers can enter the ballroom for music, t-shirt pick-up, and to meet with their teams.
Kickoff Event at 7:30 am in the Duke Ellington Ballroom (12:30 pm for the afternoon program). A short program featuring speakers from the university and community. Volunteers are then dismissed to board buses to their work sites. Volunteers will spend a maximum of four hours at their worksite and can board a circulating bus as they complete their work.
A few helpful tips:
- You will get dirty. Please plan your clothes and shoes accordingly. Bring a pair of work gloves if you're really worried about getting your hands dirty!
- Don't bring anything that you won't want to lug around all day. This includes purses, backpacks, etc.
- Take pictures! NIU Cares Day can be a great opportunity to capture some great NIU memories.