Brock students, from left, Abby MacNaught, Odosa Gold Aibueku and Evelyn Miloud took part in a recent gardening project with Christian Horizons, one of three organizations students, faculty and staff will partner with during the fall Alternative Reading Week — Local program. Students looking to take a break from their books during fall Reading Week are being encouraged to spend time giving back to the community.
Brock’s Alternative Reading Week — Local program, held during the week of Oct. 8 to 13, channels the spirit of the University’s spring Reading Week service trips abroad while offering assistance to local organizations.
Along with students, faculty and staff from the University are also invited to participate.
Volunteers will head to one of three local sites to volunteer their time. They will visit residents of Loyalist Retirement Residence in St. Catharines on Wednesday, Oct. 10; paint rooms at Christian Horizons group home in Port Colborne on Thursday, Oct. 11; and help with the Pumpkinville 2018 event at Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm in St. Catharines on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Megan Brown, Brock’s Community Engagement Co-ordinator, says students have the chance to discover opportunities for outreach in the region that they may not have heard about before.
“Brock is an important part of the community,” she said. “By volunteering during your time off, it’s a great way to give back and learn something new while also promoting longer-term connections with various organizations around Niagara.”
Brown said the Reading Week program also allows students to take in some of the colours of the fall season in parts of Niagara they might not normally visit.
To sign up or learn more about Alternative Reading Week — Local, visit the ExperienceBU website.
