JCU Community Service Office Organizes Environmental Cleanups in Trastevere
On Friday, February 19 and 26, the Office of Community Service organized an environmental cleanup in collaboration with the student organizations Grassroots and STAND. Participants were supplied with protective materials and trash-picking tools, and social distancing was observed throughout the activity, which took place in Trastevere, the neighborhood where John Cabot University is located. Ever since the lockdown in March 2020, this was the first opportunity for JCU students to re-engage in the local community. Volunteers from diverse backgrounds and fields of study expressed great excitement in performing a group activity, meeting students whom they had only seen online, while also feeling useful.
Community Service – Environmental Cleanup
Vittoria Maione, President of STAND and cleanup volunteer said, “Some people may think that cleaning up the streets once a week for an hour and a half might be useless because it does not have long-term effects. Well, that is wrong. Change starts from the little things, from small efforts, from a small community. If we all do our part, we can change everything we want to. That is what the cleanups are for.”
Multiple residents of the Trastevere neighborhood were impressed and expressed gratitude to the group, and complimented John Cabot University for offering extra-curricular initiatives that build civic-responsibility.
Julia del Papa, Director of Community Service, Religious Life, and Multiculturalism, said “It feels great to be back on the field. Students were so excited to give back to their neighborhood while working on communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Performing acts of kindness and feeling that we were leaving a positive impact on the environment was a fulfilling experience for all participants.”
The Community Service Program’s slogan is: “I C-A-R-E!” which stands for “Community, Awareness, Respect, and Empowerment.” The Program offers many different service opportunities throughout the semester and also gives students the possibility to earn an official Certificate of Participation for volunteering with the program’s affiliated associations.
The next cleanup is scheduled for Friday, March 5. Interested students should contact [email protected]
