The Meelia Center for Community Service helps Saint Anselm volunteers find and maintain meaningful community engagement. Student, faculty, and staff volunteers have their choice of more than 40 options. After years of effective collaboration with the Meelia Center, community partners have opened up a wide range of service options to accommodate all levels of commitment and interest.
Weekly volunteers assist at any of our 14 partnerships or 30 affiliate agencies. Students often go out in groups of three or more, and that provides the additional benefit of expanding student networks. Volunteers generally commit to two-to-three hours per week at a site for the entire semester. Year long commitments are encouraged. Many students join with agency staff and clients to run their own activities or workshops. The Meelia Center provides support and materials as needed to support all student involvement.
Saint Anselm is blessed with community partnerships and affiliate agencies that invite students to take on leadership roles. Many of the center's strongest community connections were developed by student leaders who forged new relationships with the community.
In addition to weekly volunteers, the center hosts six to eight special one day service events throughout the year. Annual events, such as the charity Wiffle Ball Tournament, charity Decathlon, the Children's Holiday Festival and the Special Olympics Valentine's Day Dance are magical events and great team builders for student organizations and residence halls.