Saturday of service: UA students volunteer across Tuscaloosa

By Moseley Mason

March 6th, 2023

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama Center for Service and Leadership held their bi-annual community service event on Saturday, March 4, at the Student Center.

The event, titled Hands on Tuscaloosa, started with volunteers meeting at the Student Center at 8 a.m. Volunteers then met with leaders of different non-profit groups on campus, traveled by bus to serve at different sites around the city and convened at the Student Center at noon to reflect on the day.

Students assist Habitat for Humanity to repair a home in West Tuscaloosa (Photo by: Matthew Stumpf)

“I really enjoyed serving with Volunteer Bama. They give us a lot of options as far as different sites we can go to,”Asia Smith, a nursing major and volunteer, said. “It definitely gives you a wide range of what the Tuscaloosa community actually looks like … I didn't realize how much poverty Tuscaloosa was in.”

Those who served could volunteer at the community soup kitchen, Moundville Archeological Park and other locations with several on-campus service organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, which assisted in repairing an existing home in the Tuscaloosa area.

“I love Habitat for Humanity because you can see in real time the impact of what you’re doing. Every nail you hammer in is getting somebody one step closer to having that house,” Matthew Stumpf, Habitat for Humanity University of Alabama Chapter president, said. “(Service days) are so rewarding … they give you a perspective to more than just UA.”

Some students who volunteered found new opportunities to expand their community service experience by serving in Jeremiah’s Community Garden.

“We replanted some garlic, we got a bed ready for some new stuff to plant and we refertilized some trees. It was really fun,” Amiyah Smith, another volunteer student, said. “I do plan to open a non-profit, but the garden really inspired me, maybe I’ll start my own garden, too.”