The MSU Office for Community Involvement (OCI) works to better connect campus resources to meet community needs. Each year thousands of MSU students provide one-time or on-going service to hundreds of Bozeman area non-profit, school and governmental organizations as volunteers, interns, or work-study staff. The Gallatin Valley plays host to over 400 not-for-profit organizations working to address human service, environmental, emergency service, justice and educational issues and challenges. As a land grant institution Montana State University has, from inception, been committed to giving back to the people of Montana. One way in which this is done is through the services provided by our students to those in need. Take some time and look around our website to find out about all the services we offer and the abundance of opportunities to get involved!
The mission of the MSU Office for Community Involvement is to encourage and support the development of an ethic of service and a sense of civic responsibility among MSU students and the campus community through meaningful service that addresses identified community needs.
Vision
The MSU Office for Community Involvement will be the primary campus-based resource to students, faculty, staff and the larger community for civic engagement and service leadership development opportunities. We will:
- build strong and reciprocal campus-community partnerships
- share campus human and intellectual assets
- support student success through active discovery and learning in the community setting
- promote and encourage a lifetime commitment to civic engagement
News
MSU Office for Community Involvement is honored with a Nourishing Community Award
On March 23, 2012, the MSU Office for Community Involvement (OCI) was honored by the Gallatin Valley Food Bank at their inaugural Nourishing Community Awards Ceremony. The OCI was recognized for their advocacy efforts, “mobilizing campus resources and raising public awareness in order to meet the immediate needs of the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.” This ceremony honored the, “generosity, valuable time, effort, and resources that the recipients have shared with those in need.” Mentioned specifically at the ceremony was the annual Can the Griz Food Drive, which this year generated more than 56,000 pounds of food donations, the Campus Corps Program, through which MSU students have coordinate the Food Bank’s Summer Lunch Program, the hundreds of one-time and ongoing MSU student volunteers, and the valuable 18 year relationship the Food Bank has enjoyed with the OCI.
MSU Makes The President's Honor Roll for Higher Education Community Service
Montana State University, Bozeman has been named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice. On campuses across the country, thousands of students joined their faculty to develop innovative programs and projects to meet local needs using the skills gained in their classrooms. Business students served as consultants to budget-strapped nonprofits and businesses, law students volunteered at legal clinics, and dozens of others organized anti-hunger campaigns.
Click here for a full list of 2012 Honor Roll recipients.
Upcoming Service Opportunities
Summer Internship Opportunities!
Available positions
- Summer Lunch Coordinator- Livingston Food Pantry
- The Livingston Food Pantry of Park County offers food assistance to individuals and families in need in Livingston and Park County, Montana. The total number of children in the two local elementary schools who depend on free or subsidized meal programs during the school year is approximately 280. To address this need the Livingston Food Pantry coordinates a Summer Lunch Program that provides free lunches to children, Monday through Friday, during the months of June, July, and August.
- 315-Hour position (approximately 25 hours/week)
- Living stipend of $1,500
- Education Award of $1,175
- If interested, contact: Michael McCormick, 406-222-5335, livingstonfoodpantry@yahoo.com
- Summer Lunch Coordinator- Gallatin Valley Food Bank
- The mission of the Gallatin Valley Food Bank (GVFB) is to improve food security throughout the Gallatin Valley. The GVFB Summer Lunch Program provides nutritionally-balanced lunches to local school children during the summer months when free or reduced-price school meals are not available. It serves approximately 115 children per day (typically a little over 5000 lunches over the course of the summer). This Campus Corps member assists the Food Bank Program Manager by preparing and serving meals, and supervising learning activities that have already been created at their respective lunch site.
- 465-Hour position (approximately 40 hours/week)
- Living stipend of $3,000
- Education Award of $1,468
- If interested, contact: Lori Christenson, 406-586-7600, lori@gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org
- Summer Food Service Site Supervisor- Gallatin Valley Food Bank
- The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally funded program that provides free meals to children 18 years old and under during the summer months. The SFSP is an important resource for low-income families whose children rely on school meals from September to June. When school ends for the summer, these sites provide children with the healthy meals they require. The Gallatin Valley Food Bank (GVFB) summer lunch program provides nutritionally balanced meals to local school children. Last year it served an average 200 children per day. This important program will be expanding during the Summer of 2012 to new sites in the area and will pilot an evening meal program available at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank’s Community Café.
- 465-Hour position (approximately 40 hours/week)
- Living stipend of $3,000
- Education Award of $1,468
- If interested, contact: Lori Christenson, 406-586-7600, lori@gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org
Volunteers Needed at the Community Café
The OCI is partnering with the Gallatin Valley Food Bank to host dinners at the Community Café located at 302 N. 7th EVERY Wednesday from 4:30 -7:30pm. The Community Café is a restaurant serving, “everyone in our community who eats.” Meals are prepared at the Food Bank and transported to the site. Service tasks include set up, meal service, and light clean up. E-mail robin.mayer@montana.edu to sign up!
Volunteers Needed at Longfellow Elementary School: May 11th
Longfellow Elementary School will continue their year-end tradition of celebrating the arts at their annual Art Works Festival and Fundraiser on Friday, May 11, from 5-8:30 pm at Longfellow School on South Tracy. The highlights of the evening will be silent and live auctions, featuring art created by Longfellow students.
Volunteers are needed to run kid stations and activities so parents can shop at the art auction. Volunteers will get to enjoy a Dad’s BBQ generously donated by Wild Joe’s.
For more information, please contact us at Longfellow Elementary at 522.6150 or email, artworks@lpabozeman.org.
Irving School 1st Annual Fun Run: May 10th
Volunteers are needed on May 10th to help with Irving School’s Student Fun Run. Shifts will be two hours from 8:30-3:30 (or longer if volunteers can stay). Volunteers will be helping students track their laps, running registration/refreshment tables, pinning numbers to t-shirts, and helping cheer on racers. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. The run hopes to promote school spirit, encourage healthy active lifestyles and raise money for a new natural playground. For more information: Shelly Wunsch at dogsinbozeman@msn.com.
Gallatin Valley YMCA MTCC VISTA
The MTCC VISTA will work closely with YMCA leadership to develop and implement three specific out-of-school time program opportunities for low-income and disadvantaged youth in the Gallatin Valley. The three program areas the MTCC VISTA will be working on are; afterschool intramural youth sporting leagues, middle school afterschool program and summer camp and integrating an education component to our summer adventure camps.For more information or to find out how to apply, contact Maureen Michaud 406-994-9622 or mmichaud@gallatinvalleyymca.org.
Now Accepting Applications for July 2012 Hopa Mountain -Youth Programs VISTA Position
Spend a year with Hopa Mountain while enjoying all of the benefits of the AmeriCorps program. Hopa Mountain is excited to announce an opening for a July 2012 AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. The AmeriCorps VISTA will work with Hopa Mountain's three programs that serve older youth - Youth Leadership Programs, Youth Leaders in Service, and Indigenous Scholars of Promise. These programs offer teens the opportunity to develop life skills, explore their communities, access resources for higher education, and create positive change through volunteerism and service learning. The VISTA will have the opportunity to create exciting new infrastructure for these programs. If interested, visit the AmeriCorps website at www.americorps.gov. Applications must come through this website, but you can also feel free to contact Hopa Mountain directly for more information at (406) 586-2455.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity needs a volunteer(s) to help remodel a dollhouse. The dollhouse will be used as a model for a future build and auctioned off to help raise funds and awareness about the work that Habitat does in the Gallatin Valley. Volunteers are also always needed at the Habitat Restore in Belgrade. The Restore is open Thurs. & Fri: 10am-2pm and Saturday: 10am - 4pm. More info: call (406) 388-2851.
Volunteers Needed for K9 Run - To Benefit GVLT-May 19th
Volunteers are needed for Bozeman's 1st K9 9K running & walking event - yep with your DOGS! Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 9am - 3pm with a HUGE dog festival in Bogert Park after the event. It's 5.5 miles through subdivision streets and the best of Bozeman's trails. Event benefits: GVLT, Heart of the Valley, and Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign. To learn more about the event, click here. To volunteer please contact Karin Caroline: boone.kc@hotmail.com.
Volunteers Needed for Local Special Olympics Program
Special Olympics is a sports training and competition program for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. One adult team, formed through REACH, due to budget cuts and lack of local family contacts, is held back from full participation because extra volunteers are needed.
They are recruiting 6-8 volunteers for the following:
- Work with athletes 1-2 hours per week, March to early May
- Availability at various times for local Area Games, in Belgrade & Bozeman, April 25-27 (Wed-Friday)
- Travel to Billings May 15-18 to help oversee the athletes as they participate in various activities & venues for the State Summer Games. Transportation, food and lodging expenses would be covered.
If you have a heart for helping out in this way, perhaps we can work together to enriching the participation for these athletes. Please contact Cyndi Huempfner at 223-3424 or dws128@aol.com if interested.
Bountiful Baskets
Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op (BBFC) distributes produce baskets, organic produce baskets, artisan bread and sandwich bread every other week. BBFC is a grassroots, all volunteer, no contracts, no catch co-operative. Four volunteers are needed to become Back Up Volunteer Site Coordinators. To become a coordinator volunteers do 3 trainings with the onsite volunteer coordinator, attend a telephone conference, complete agreement. For more information www.bountifulbaskets.org or e-mail catkoe@gmail.com.
