The PEACE (People Exploring Active Community Experiences) student organization at the University of Tampa provides a resource for all students and faculty to engage in various volunteering experiences around the Tampa Bay area. PEACE has been a successful organization that has been growing each year.
The most recent annual event “into the streets” occurred this August that appeals to many incoming UT students each year. This year had its largest outcome with 460 participants as well as the most faculty involvement thus far. Mike Seitzler, the head coordinator of PEACE said “Into the Streets is definitely the most popular event we hold, it doubled in volunteers this year which is great.”
Into the streets event takes bus loads of volunteers from UT and cooperates with 20 different agencies to perform volunteer work at the beginning of the school year. “We also doubled in our number of agencies we coordinate with,” Seitzler said, “one of the favorites is Lowry Park Zoo.”
Greek life at UT also uses the plentiful resources the PEACE organization offers. “The sorority Alpha Chi Omega does a lot with us,” Seitzler said, “This October is Domestic Violence awareness month in which we are doing an event with the Alpha Chi Omega girls.”
In addition to local volunteering opportunities PEACE offers students “alternative breaks” holding two weekend trips a winter and spring break trip as well as summer international trips. Last spring’s international trip was to the Dominican Republic.
Volunteers went to refugee camps and to impoverished areas to teach and help out young children especially. Megan Slaughter a UT senior went on the Dominican Trip last spring only to say “The experience is something I will never forget, I’ve always wanted to travel to a third world country and just have fun with the people and the culture, the feeling you get from helping those in need is incomparable.”
Slaughter has also participated in other PEACE activities and would go on another international trip if she gets the chance. The upcoming international trip next spring is to Peru.
Other upcoming events include the Fair trade festival where hand crafted goods are sold on campus by vendors from third world countries in which 100% of proceeds go back to them. Also the Hunger and Homelessness week is coming in November.
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I never knew much about the PEACE organization on campus so I really enjoyed this article. It was very informative and well written. Good job!
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