Promotional photo from a previous Buckeye Days of Service. Credit: Courtesy of Hope Miller
For the first half of April, Ohio State’s Alumni Association will host a campaign designed to highlight service opportunities for students, alumni and community members across greater Columbus.
Known as Buckeye Days of Service, the two-week event lineup features the “Day of Giving” April 3, the “Health Science Colleges Packing Party” April 5 and the “Great Buckeye Cleanup” also April 5, according to the Ohio State College of Social Work’s webpage.
Drew Factor, marketing associate at the Alumni Association, said this year’s Buckeye Days of Service events are part of a broader celebration of the “Time and Change” campaign, a fundraiser and community-building initiative launched in October 2019. According to the Ohio State College of Engineering’s webpage, the campaign’s goal is to raise $4.5 billion and engage 1 million supporters, all in support of student success and discovery, as well as fostering healthy communities.
This spring, Factor said the campaign reached a major milestone, having received donations from over 800,000 Buckeyes.
“The whole reason we’re doing [Buckeye Days of Service] is we are closing a campaign right now,” Factor said. “And as a part of that effort, we’re highlighting the amazing impact that can be felt when the Buckeye community mobilizes.”
Factor said the Alumni Association’s webpage offers three ways for the university community to get involved in the Buckeye Days of Service: pledging to volunteer, joining a local service event or volunteering independently at their leisure.
“Those are three things that acknowledge that people have different abilities and interests in terms of what they’re trying to do to give back,” Factor said.
Factor said Buckeyes can explore a variety of local service opportunities across Columbus via Besa, a nonprofit organization and online platform that connects volunteers with community service projects tailored to their interests and availability.
The Alumni Association, in partnership with Besa, will offer hundreds of volunteer experiences throughout the Buckeye Days of Service, such as “Help the Zoo, Removing their ‘Wildlights’ Display,” “Empower Individuals with Down Syndrome Through Tennis” and “Assist with Pantry Operations at My Project USA,” the largest Muslim social services organization across the state, according to its website.
“[Besa] is a group that focuses on Central Ohio, and their mission is to advance volunteerism,” Factor said. “Nationally, the rates of people who are volunteering are going down, and they want to counteract that trend and they want to boost volunteerism in the community.”
Matthew Goldstein, Besa’s founder and CEO, said in an email the organization is thrilled to collaborate with Ohio State and further its mission of community engagement in Columbus.
“Besa’s mission is to make giving back easy and meaningful — for both individuals and organizations — so that more people get engaged with their community,” Goldstein said. “We’re thrilled to partner with Ohio State to create impactful volunteer experiences for alumni.”
Goldstein said on a personal level, the collaboration with the Alumni Association is especially meaningful to him as an Ohio State alum.
“My time at Ohio State helped shape who I am and gave me the tools I use to lead Besa every day,” Goldstein said. “It’s an honor to support the Alumni Association in strengthening connections between Buckeyes and the community.”
At the end of the day, Factor said Buckeye Days of Service is really all about giving back to the community.
“Giving back is a key part of who we are as an Ohio State community,” Factor said. “I think that learning that key facet of being part of the Ohio State community is amazing.”
For more information about the Buckeye Days of Service, including information on upcoming volunteer opportunities, visit the Alumni Association’s webpage.
