The second annual event will see Scholars spending 5th March working with five local charities.
The Day of Service really captures the essence of who we are as Gates Scholars, allowing us to come together for a day and give back to the community that hosts us as international students.
Casey Rimland
Gates Cambridge Scholars will be holding a Day of Service with local charities in Cambridge in March to give back to their local community.
On 5th March Scholars will be working with five local charities: WinterComfort for the Homeless, Cambridge Calais Refugee Action Group, Bounce!, Student Community Action and the Girl Scout Troop at RAF Alconbury. It is the second Day of Service. The inaugural event in 2014 saw 80 Scholars participating in a range of activities organised by the Gates Cambridge Scholars’ Council.
This year's volunteer activities will be:
– spring cleaning the homeless facilities at WinterComfort
– helping to run a jumble sale at the Cambridge Methodist Church from 12:30-3:30pm to raise money for the Cambridge Calais Refugee Action Group
– playing ball games and doing crafts with children from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds at Bounce!
– running a ‘Promoting Girls in STEM' event for a local Girl Scout Troop.
Following the day time volunteer activities, there will be a Charity Potluck Dinner at the Cambridge Unitarian Church. It will include the first ever Gates Scholars' Acts of Kindness Auction, where scholars will volunteer to auction acts of kindness to raise money for charity. For instance, one scholar plans to offer private cooking lessons. Guests at the dinner will have a chance to bid on the acts of kindness and all money raised will be donated to the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice.
Casey Rimland, Community Officer of the Gates Cambridge Scholars Council, said: "The Gates Cambridge Scholarship selects students who have a drive and commitment for improving the lives of others through their research while at Cambridge and beyond. The Day of Service is an opportunity for our scholars to directly and tangibly fulfill this commitment while engaging with the Cambridge community. It is one of the events that we hold of which I am the most proud! It really captures the essence of who we are as Gates Scholars, allowing us to come together for a day and give back to the community that hosts us as international students."
*Picture credit of Sudanese refugees at the Calais Jungle courtesy of Wikipedia.
