ITHACA, NY—Nearly 130 incoming Ithaca College students will be arriving on campus four days before their peers and rolling up their sleeves to help out in the local community. The Community Plunge program, now in its 11th year, brings motivated freshmen to campus early and sends them out with upper-class team leaders to volunteer at area agencies and organizations. The signature event for this year’s Plunge will be the “Back to School Bonanza,” taking place at Staples in Ithaca Aug. 24–25. The event will help raise funds for families with limited means to meet the back to school needs of their children.

 

This year, Community Plunge participants will be working at 27 sites, contributing nearly 2,000 volunteer hours. The locations and activities will include:

Conducted on behalf of the Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca, the “Back to School Bonanza” will feature a mini-carnival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 24–25, outside of the Staples store at 742 S. Meadow St. The student volunteers will offer balloons, face-painting, popcorn and bottled water for shoppers. Cash donations will be used to purchase school supplies for children served by the organization; shoppers can also buy school supplies and drop them off in donation bins located right outside the store.

 

Sponsored by the Center for Student Leadership and Involvement and the Office for New Student Programs, Community Plunge is designed to help ease the transition to college life and to encourage the new students to meet new friends and get acquainted with the campus and surrounding community.

 

“These students are highly motivated, have gone through an application process to participate in the program, and have experience in community service activities,” said Deborah Mohlenhoff, assistant director of community service and leadership development. “They are choosing to participate in the program through their altruistic character, not as a mandatory requirement.”

 

Mohlenhoff added that the students themselves benefit from their participation as well. “The program has demonstrated a significant impact on the participants’ transition to college as well as future involvement in leadership and service opportunities.”

 

In addition to Community Plunge, the Center for Student Leadership and Involvement has created two other “jumpstart” programs that will bring freshman to campus early:

The participants in the three jumpstart programs will arrive on campus on Thursday, Aug. 23, while the regular opening date for the residence halls in Sunday, Aug. 26. For more information, contact Deborah Mohlenhoff at (607) 274-3222 or dmohlen@ithaca.edu.