Grand Valley 'Make A Difference Day' set to handle 400 volunteers

400 Grand Valley State University students are set to take part in ‘Make A Difference Day’ around the Grand Rapids area on Saturday, October 27, as part of USA Today’s national day of service.

Together, the 400 students will travel to 17 different locations in West Michigan to help various charitable organizations and give back to their community.

Eric Stevens, who coordinates Service and Leadership Initiatives for Grand Valley’s Community Service Learning Center, said while all 400 official volunteer positions have been filled by students who registered in advance, walk-in volunteers are still welcome to attend, and will be placed at service sites as long as spots are still available.

“The response we’ve had from our students this year is amazing,” Stevens said. “We’re happy to have all of the volunteers we can handle, because we know the work they will do this weekend will make a real difference in the lives of people right here in West Michigan.”

Volunteers will start their day with check-in at 9 a.m. on Saturday in the Kirkhof Center’s Grand River Room before going to their assigned work sites and volunteering until 3 p.m.

Last year, student volunteers combined to provide more than 1,000 hours of service to area nonprofits, generating an economic impact of nearly $21,000.

Nationally, Make A Difference Day has been an annual event for more than 20 years, and helps unite millions of Americans in a common mission to improve the lives of others.

For more information visit gvsu.edu/service.