Annual Events
GCSU Gives Day
2024 GCSU Gives Day | Saturday, August 17 | 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
GCSU Gives Day is hosted annually during Week of Welcome. Started in 2018, the aim of GCSU Gives Day is to introduce new students to the community through service projects. Students learn more about local organizations and other non-profits beyond the college campus, meet new people, and begin to build relationships in the community. In past years, the incoming freshman class of volunteers have helped spruce up playgrounds at elementary schools, clean up at the Oconee River Greenway and Lockerly Arboretum, and participate in activities with residents at the Georgia War Veterans Home and local nursing homes.
To best align student career and academic interests, the first-year students are assigned to locations based on their first-year academic seminar course. Community partners are excited to connect with students based on their intended major to better foster long-term relationships.
What are the service projects and who are the community partners?
Service project locations are based on community needs and requests. We collaborate and serve with over 35 non-profits on this one day of service! Some examples include: hosting activities at a nursing home, playing field day games with elementary students, cleaning up trash in the community, maintaining garden beds, etc. All of these non-profits are located within a 20-minute drive radius of Milledgeville.
What is a site leader and who supervises the service project on-site?
Site leaders are GCSU faculty, staff, or alumni. On-site they participate in the project and assist the non-profit partner with delegating tasks. Additionally, each project site has an Assistant Site Leader. These are current GCSU students (sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduates) and help to provide mentorship to the students.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
The Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday is an official day of service and celebrates the civil rights leader's life and legacy. During this national day of service each year, Americans across the country volunteer their time to make their communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King's dream. His example is our call to action. On the Monday holiday, we invite members of our entire community to engage with each other to create constructive action, act on the legacy of social justice, and volunteer to serve others in meaningful ways.
For more information, to volunteer, or to discuss ideas for a service project, e-mail give@gcsu.edu
Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week
Hunger and homelessness awareness week occurs annually in November. People across the country come together to draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness holding educational, service, fundraising, and advocacy events. Since 2001, GCSU hosted an annual Potato Drop where volunteers would sort and bag 40,000 pounds of potatoes to feed more thank 100K individuals. The founder of the GIVE Center, Kendall Stiles, had a passion for addressing issues of hunger. Now, we build on that passion to offer a full week of programs and service opportunities to build up supporters and volunteers for local anti-poverty agencies.
Learn more about the National Hunger and Homelessness Week, visit the website.
Random Acts of Kindness Week
In February, our campus community comes together to make kindness the norm. We share ideas and host events for practicing random acts of kindness to impact the lives of friends, family, GCSU, our community, and even ourselves.
Find resources for practicing kindness at school, home, and at work by visiting the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website.
Dance Marathon
Georgia College Miracle is the largest student-led fundraiser on the Georgia College & State University campus. Starting in 2005, Dance Marathon and Georgia College Miracle has made a huge difference for Children's Hospital, Navicent Health and its patients. Everyone in the Miracle family participates in raising as much money as possible by the end of the year. But, participants are not on their own for raising money. Throughout the year, there are multiple fundraising events to help make miracles. These events are put on during the year and lead up to the 12-hour event of Dance Marathon. GC Miracle is dancing its way to over $1,000,000 raised in 19 years for the Beverly Knight Olson's Children's Hospital, Navicent Health.
For more information and to get involved, visit the Georgia College Miracle website.
Reoccurring Events
Service Saturdays
These days of service occur twice a month. We have student volunteers participate in various service projects around the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Community. If you want to learn more about how to become a service site, email give@gcsu.edu
Blood Drives
Hosted by the American Red Cross, on GCSU campus. To learn about ways to volunteer or to become a donor, visit the Red Cross website.
Non-Profit Fairs
We invite non-profit organizations to network with the GCSU campus and share more information about ways to get involved in their work. To be notified of the next fair, email give@gcsu.edu