UA students spent time volunteering at the Akron-Canton Foodbank during the 2013 Make a Difference Day.
More than 800 University of Akron student and staff volunteers will converge on Summit County on Saturday, Oct. 25, all with a single goal — to make a difference.
This is UA’s 10th year of participation in Make a Difference Day. The annual day of giving back is celebrated in communities across the country on the last Saturday of October. USA Weekend, Points of Light and Newman’s Own sponsor the national day of service.
UA students took on landscaping and clean-up projects at Suddieth Park for last year's Make a Difference Day.
In April, UA was one of the Make a Difference Day Award recipients featured in USA Weekend Magazine. The University was the only college among several organizations and individuals being honored for the community service projects organized for Make A Difference Day. UA donated the $10,000 recognition grant it received from the sponsors to United Way of Summit County.
UA was recognized for having provided opportunities to more than 5,900 volunteers who dedicated more than 21,400 hours of service to Summit County in its first nine years of participation in Make A Difference Day.
“Having the opportunity to assist in organizing such a large service project is truly amazing,” says Alison Doehring, assistant director of student life and project coordinator. “Watching this many individuals come together to give of their time is such an incredible sight. Of course, we hope volunteerism becomes part of their lives, if it isn’t already.”
Mitchell Wall
This year, UA volunteers will take on projects ranging from home repairs and painting to landscaping and community clean up for 40 nonprofit organizations at 47 sites in the Akron area.
Among them will be Mitchell Wall. The Honors College student, a junior in nursing, participated in Make a Difference Day for the first time in 2013. He was part of a landscape crew at Valor Home of Summit County, a transitional housing facility for homeless veterans.
“I am extremely excited to be returning this year,” says Wall. “I will be working with my fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, on a project. I love this event because it makes it so easy for individuals to complete community service and really shows students the importance of giving back to the community.”
Another dedicated volunteer is Megan Vermillion, who always does double-duty on Make a Difference Day.
For a third year, she will be a table leader. And when she’s not getting groups of students organized and on the way to their designated locations, Vermillion is making items that will be donated to organizations. She and other table crew members work on projects as varied as making blankets for patients at Akron Children's Hospital, fleece scarves for people in need at Haven of Rest Ministries, dog toys for the rescue group, One of a Kind Pets, and repairing and adapting toys for children with disabilities for RePlay for Kids.
Megan Vermillion
“Getting to meet students who are volunteering is always delightful because they all have stories to tell as to why they are participating in Make a Difference Day,” says Vermillion, who will graduate in December with a degree in social work.
“The reason I wanted to get involved is because I absolutely love volunteering,” adds Vermillion, who also is involved in Up 'til Dawn, which raises funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and UA’s Alternative Spring Break service trips. “When you hear about hundreds of students coming together to serve the community, why wouldn't you want to be involved?”
2014 Community Partners
- Akron BMX
- Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority
- Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs
- Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
- Battered Women's Shelter
- Bethany Lutheran Church
- Better Akron Recreation for Canines (Akron Dog Park)
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve
- CANAPI
- Chaff Foundation
- City of Akron
- Concordia Lutheran Church
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Good Samaritan Hunger Center
- Goodwill Industries of Akron
- Habitat for Humanity of Summit County
- Hattie Larlham
- Haven of Rest Ministries
- He Brought Us Out Ministries - North Hill Community House
- Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
- Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio
- Keep Akron Beautiful
- Let's Grow Akron, Inc.
- My Neighborhood Our Akron
- Northampton UMC
- OCSS and Off-Campus Patrol
- Off-Campus Student Services/The NEOhaus Institute
- Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition
- Pak United Methodist Church
- Rockynol Retirement Community
- Ronald McDonald House of Akron
- Salvation Army
- South Street Ministries
- Spring Garden Waldorf School
- St. Mary Catholic Parish/Church and School
- Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
- Summit County Children Services
- Summit County Historical Society
- University of Akron Quaker Square
- Willard United Church of Christ
Learn more about Make a Difference Day at UA.