Community Commitment
Community Commitment 2022 will be Saturday, August 27th!
Join your fellow Buckeyes in a day of service. Become connected to the Columbus community at Pay It Forward’s 25th Annual Community Commitment. Since 1997, Buckeyes have started the new school year by coming together to serve the Columbus community. We are excited to be able to host Community Commitment in-person for 2022.
We look forward to serving with you!
What can you expect at your day of service?
- Whether you volunteer together with your student organization, a group of friends, or want to get involved individually, all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students are invited to join Pay It Forward as we ring in the new academic year by giving back to our city of Columbus through a morning of community service!
- Students will have the opportunity to participate in 2-3 hours of community service with a local nonprofit in a variety of social justice issues, such as environmental stewardship, homeless/houseless citizen support, mental health advocacy, healthy food access, child welfare, and support for our frontline workers.
Are you looking to serve?
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I want to pre-register as an individual to secure my spot at Community Commitment and have the option of giving my preference of social justice area to serve in: |
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I want to pre-register with my student organization to secure our chances of being paired together at a service site(s) and have the option of giving our preference of social justice area to serve in: |
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I want to participate but am not sure if I am ready to commit to pre-registering yet: |
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Do you want to be a site leader?
- Site Leaders are volunteering students who serve as peer leaders and liasons for the Community Commitment team for the day of the event. Site Leaders help to ensure a successful service engagement by reaching out to the Community Commitment team in the event of any troubleshooting needs and provide energy and enthusiasm to fellow students for the day of service.
- Students can register to be site leaders at this link by no later than Thursday, August 25th to allow time to complete the brief, mandatory online training.
- All Site Leaders will receive a Starbucks gift card as a thank you for going above and beyond!
Frequently Asked Questions!
- I want to attend Community Commitment, but I don't have a group to go with. Can I still sign-up by myself?
- Yes! Community Commitment and all of Pay It Forward's single days of service is a wonderful opportunity for individual Buckeyes to get involved and give back to their community. We encourage you to come volunteer and hope that you will meet new friends through giving back! Individual students are also able to pre-register for preference of their social justice service area .
- I'm still confused about what Community Commitment is- can you elaborate?
- Community Commitment is the first of the three annual single days of service that is organized and hosted by Pay It Forward, the local service community student cohort. At each single day of service, students are asked to show their support and appreciation for our Columbus community and neighbors by volunteering approximately two hours of service in partnership with a local nonprofit. Community Commitment is particularly exciting as it kicks off the academic year by honoring the traditon of Buckeyes giving back to others and supporting our community. The other days are service, Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service and Spring Into Service are centered around sociocultural equality and environmental stewardship, respectively.
- Giving back to the community is something I am really passionate about- how can I continue to be in the loop on how to get involved in community service on campus and in Columbus?
- Pay It Forward hosts numerous, year round community service opportunities that intersect with a wide range of social justice issues and address the most pressing needs of our community. If you'd like to stay in touch to learn more about service opportunities, community leadership programming, and how to get involved in the cohort, please join the Pay It Forward listserv.
- I want to have fun during my Welcome Weekend, and there's a lot of stuff already going on. Why should I give up my morning at Community Commitment?
- We're students too- we get it! Community Commitment only takes up a few hours in the morning and leaves your entire afternoon and evening wide open to check out campus, hang out with friends, and enjoy the start to the academic year. For students who are part of an organization that requires community service hours, being able to come together with your friends at the beginning of the year is a great way to get to serve together and knock those requirements out. It's also a great way to meet new people, whether you're a transfer student, a new Buckeye, or just want to branch out- many of the Pay It Forward members met each other and decided to join the cohort after participating in a single day of service. But most importantly, giving back is what Buckeyes do. Our Buckeye Nation neighbors are worth donating a few hours of our time, energy, and resources for creating a supportive, engaging, and exciting atmosphere for us to learn and grow during our collegiate years and beyond.
Are you an agency looking to participate?
- Agency registration for Community Commitment is closed as of August 5th.
- If you are interested in partnering with Pay It Forward for a community service opportunity during the 2022-2023 academic year, please email Wendy at kristell.4@osu.edu.
Questions?
Please email Pay It Forward at payitforward@osu.edu.