UMKC Holds Campus-Wide Day of Service at Roos Give Back
October 27, 2022
After receiving their free t-shirt and fanny pack at check-in at the Miller Nichols Learning Center, attendees divided into groups and completed tasks for one of eight different non-profits partnered for Roos Give Back.
“Our purpose through Roos Give Back is to unite through service,” said OSI Assistant Director Kim Kushner at the event’s formal welcome.
As part of UMKC’s Weekend of Service, students, alumni and faculty gathered on campus Oct. 15 for Roos Give Back, an annual day of community service and non-profit engagement.
Although each organization has a different purpose, all are in Kansas City, the closest one being a childhood center only a 3-minute walk from UMKC.
Dominick Love, a lead of the volunteer project for Scraps KC, said Roos Give Back understands local organizations’ impact on Kansas City.
“When we talk about inclusion and diversity being so strong in UMKC’s mission statement, it’s important to display that we’re also including the community that surrounds us,” Love said.
Scraps KC is a unique craft store that only sells donated materials. Volunteers sorted an overflowing bin of used pens, which were later repurposed for local churches, schools and other places in need of supplies.
“Think about all the things that can be made from materials we take for granted every day,” Love said. “Something as trivial as a ballpoint pen can be turned into something new.”
While Scraps KC organized pens on the first floor, other Roos Give Back volunteers upstairs created thank-you cards for educators across Kansas City in Teach for America.
“Our teachers put a lot on the line,” said Nabil Abas, a student leader of Roos Give Back. “Writing one small thank-you card goes a long way.”
As the day of service came to a close, attendees reflected on their volunteer work — an ask of Kushner’s at the beginning of the event.
“Days like today I leave feeling more energized and hopeful for the working community,” Abas said. “It’s because of events like this, where students, staff and faculty all come together on a Saturday to give back.”
