By: Sneha Gade
Once the COVID-19 Pandemic hit and changed the lives of many, including the lives of all college students with the struggle to identify opportunities to keep active and take care of their mental health. This led me to discuss this struggle with my friends, who had similar feelings. Through these mutual feelings, we proceeded to contact some communities we had volunteered and served in person to see their current state. They did not have accommodations for volunteers in an online setting. Observing this gap between the communities, we worked together to form a student coalition called “Virtual Volunteer at VCU” now known as “V Cubed”. Through this, I was not only a co-founder and director of a student coalition, but I was able to become an active volunteer serving in a plethora of diverse communities. Through volunteering and organizing events with a wide variety of communities. I was able to develop empathy and gain an understanding of the struggles that people face in unique situations. I was working with student leaders to make opportunities and volunteer with The Doorways, The Salvation Army, Circles RVA, Girls for a Change, Reach for the Stars, and One Simple Wish. Our impact particularly was that we had 450 plus student volunteers join us, 1000 plus service hours done by our volunteers with our partners, 10 plus community partners connected and 8 plus student-led partners connected. Through founding this student coalition I was not only implementing problem-solving tactics but also was able to reflect upon my personal growth and be not only a strong student leader but a reliable team player.
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