Help us Help Others!

Are you ready to make a difference in your community this spring? Help host or volunteer for the National Month of Service, and do just that! Events will be taking place throughout the month of May. More information about the National Month of Service initiative is located below the map. Locations for projects are shown in the aforementioned map. More information about each site can be found by clicking on individual markers, or by selecting a city name from the drop down menu. Last year a total of ten different cities participated in the inaugural year of the National Month of Service initiative. This year, so far 17 different cities have a host confirmed for the events. If your location is not included, and you are interested in becoming a host, please email the Alumni Relations Office, at alumeservice@depauw.edu or call 877-658-2586. Our office can assist you with finding other alumni who may be interested in participating, finding an event to host, and all the planning details. A planning guide to help you get started can be found HERE.


Frequently Asked Questions:

How did the National Month of Service Initiative start?
Over the years, DePauw University has had a profound tradition and commitment to service as 70% of DePauw students engage in service activities on a regular basis. During the month of May, students, faculty, staff, and the Greencastle community participate in the Putnam County Relay for Life event that takes place on DePauw’s campus each year. It is for this very reason that the month of May was strategically chosen as a service month for our alumni. The discussion began among the Executive Committee of the Alumni Board in January of 2007, and was presented and endorsed by the Alumni Board of Directors in June of the same year. The Alumni Board formed an ad-hoc committee to take on the responsibility of assisting with the project. A complete list of the National Month of Service Committee Members can be found if you CLICK HERE.

What are the goals for the National Month of Service?
The University and the Alumni Association Board of Directors is encouraging all alumni to participate in the National Month of Service initiatives, and share their commitment and volunteer their time. Through this initiative, we would like to involve as many different regional groups as possible. The goal is that DePauw alumni and students will serve in their communities throughout the month of May for a widespread impact. Even if you are not near a council or club, we want to hear what you are doing to volunteer in service and help others! We have a created a National Month of Service Questionnaire, where you can tell us all about your volunteer efforts that take place throughout the year. Remember even one person can make a difference in their community. We urge all members of the DePauw family to fill out the questionnaire found HERE, so we can determine just how many hours of service our alumni complete.

Are these service efforts only for alumni?
The simple answer is no. We are hoping to be able to tell all about the service efforts of the DePauw community including alumni and students.  For example, one new initiative for this year is the inclusion of the DePauw Bonner Scholars Program in the planning of the National Month of Service events. Bonner Scholar, Chloie Favinger ’09 is working hard to not only help with the planning details for the events, but to provide information to fellow Bonner scholars who may want to take part in the events either by commuting from campus during the school year, or from home after classes end. Current students will be invited to attend the service events in their hometown areas to work alongside our alumni.

Looking for other ways to get involved?
We have created a webpage of programs/volunteer groups that may be active near you, accessible HERE. These are just a few ways you and your family can get involved in the service efforts. Should you choose to do service at a time other than May, remember to fill out our questionnaire and let us know what you have planned and how it all worked out. We’d love to hear from you!