Making Volunteering Part of Your College Experience

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed

Twenty-two special kids line up on an early summer morning with various race car backpacks and Disney suitcases. They huddle together, shy at first, but beaming with energy and excitement. A welcoming bus approaches and all of the kids prepare for their journey. They have a lot more in common then they let on. They’re part of the Kesem Family.

What’s a Kesem?

Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent's cancer. Kesem provides year-long support to children whose parents are battling, recovering, and moving on from cancer. UNLV recently started its own chapter of Kesem last year.

Kesem supports the various children of the Las Vegas community by hosting an annual week-long summer camp that is FREE to the campers. It's completely planned by volunteers and paid for through fundraising. This past summer, the UNLV chapter of Camp Kesem served twenty-two campers from the Las Vegas community.

Why You Should Volunteer

Volunteering on campus is a perfect way to make new connections and meet people who want to make a difference. Also, it’s a great way to spruce up any resume, whether it be for obtaining a new job or moving on to graduate school. The work you do will be rewarding and beneficial to areas of the community in need. One person can make a real difference, and you’ll get all the warm fuzzies once you start.

Here’s How You Can Start

There are tons and tons of places to get involved on campus, and the best way to search for them is by logging in to the UNLV Involvement Center. It’s the central hub for all volunteer and student-run organizations. I highly recommend checking it out. You might find a really cool club or organization to join!

Interested in Kesem?

Kesem is the official charity partner of the 2019 Inflatable Race and they’re currently looking for volunteers and runners for October 20th! For every runner that signs up with the code KESEM2018, $5 is donated to Camp Kesem! This year the goal is set higher for Camp Kesem. The Las Vegas chapter plans on sending over twenty-five kids to camp in the summer of 2019. It would mean the world if you could support Camp Kesem by volunteering or giving a donation. To learn more you can visit the official page located on the UNLV Involvement Center.