Civic Engagement Annual Events
Civic engagement is embedded into Carnegie Mellon's culture. No matter what time of year it is, you can find opportunities to give back and to lean into the CMU and Pittsburgh communities. SLICE's annual civic engagement opportunities are available to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff both on-campus and in the local community.
Fall Semester
Days of Service
Volunteer with your fellow Tartans during CMU's Days of Service, which include both small and large scale opportunities.
Volunteer Fair
Connect to Opportunities: Talk with individuals who are as passionate about civic engagement as you are. Students, faculty, staff and local alumni can connect with more than 50 local, non-profit and campus student organizations that focus on direct service, activism, philanthropy, and community building. Check back soon for the list of participating organizations.
Want to table? Community agencies and service-focused student organizations are the foundation of the Volunteer Fair. Interested participants should email Meggan to learn more about having a table at next year’s Volunteer Fair. The Volunteer Fair happens every year during the Fall semester.
Season of Giving
Students, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to support local families and communities all-year-round with CMU's Season of Giving.
Rise Against Hunger
Save the date: February 18, 2023
Dedicated individuals and organizations — from businesses to civic clubs — can participate in a hands-on international hunger relief program and become educated, engaged advocates for the world’s hungry. Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now) distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable — mobilizing the necessary resources to end hunger by 2030. This volunteer-based initiative coordinates the assembly-line packaging of highly nutritious dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables and 23 essential vitamins and minerals. If you are interested in learning more or helping with CMU’s Rise Against Hunger event, please contact Zack Miller.
820 million people across the world don’t receive enough nutrition to lead an active, healthy life.
415,300 volunteers around the globe put their hands on hunger in 2019.
1.7 million lives nourished by Rise Against Hunger meals and other aid in 2019.
106,000+ meals packaged by more than 400 CMU community volunteers in November 2019 in 90 minutes.
Volunteer Appreciation Day
The Nexus of Civic Engagement recognizes civic engagement work being done by the CMU community during the Civic Engagement Appreciation Event. This event showcases the significant impact individuals and organizations are having in the community.
Wear your favorite shirt that represents your civic engagement experience, have your photo taken and share your story of why you serve.
The Whatever Drive
Each year during move-out, the CMU community is responsible for the disposal of a large amount of personal belongings that students cannot or do not want to bring home with them. These goods are often in working order, and can be reused within the Pittsburgh community to minimize waste and our impact on the environment. This year, students will have different Whatever Drive options to choose from, based on the types of items they would like to donate. Please direct questions about the Whatever Drive to Zack Miller.
St. Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) serves local individuals in need on a person-to-person level through direct services including clothing, furniture, housing, utility assistance, food, medical care, and transportation. This year, SVDP is bringing a box truck to campus to collect donations from students at various times during finals week and move out.
Accepted Donations:
- Clothing, shoes, purses, and accessories for women, men, and children
- Home goods: linens, artwork, framed mirrors, baskets, decorative items
- Toys and games
- Media: records, compact discs, DVDs
- Books, textbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries
- Small appliances in working order: Toasters, microwaves, dorm refrigerators, mixers
Sorry, SVDP Cannot Accept
- Televisions, electronics that don’t work, weapons, large appliances, infant car seats and cribs, swing sets, pianos/organs, entertainment centers, hutches, armoires, china cabinets, bookcases, medical equipment, automotive parts, sewing machines, mirrors without frames, hangers, VHS tapes, magazines, anything associated with the bed (mattresses, box springs, frames, headboards, futons, sleeper sofas), excessively large or multi-part furniture (waterbeds, sectionals, pool tables), dangerous items (anything marked flammable, poisonous, or hazardous including acids, pesticides, paints, oils, propane tanks, etc)
- SVDP also cannot accept any items that have rips, stains, tears, pet hair, broken parts or missing pieces.
- If you are in doubt about whether or not your item will be accepted, ask yourself, “Would I give this item to my neighbor?”
- For more information about which items can and cannot be accepted, please visit the SVDP website.
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How to Donate
To make a donation to SVDP, simply bring your items to their truck while it is on campus. The SVDP truck will be on campus at the following times and locations:
Date
Time
Housing Community
Truck Location
Wednesday, May 4
12:00 pm – 1:20 pm
Oakland
Fairfax Parking Lot
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Morewood
Morewood Parking Lot
Saturday, May 7
10:00 am – 11:20 am
The Hill
CFA Parking Lot
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Morewood
Morewood Parking Lot
Wednesday, May 11
9:00 am – 10:20am
The Hill
CFA Parking Lot
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Morewood
Morewood Parking Lot
CMU Pantry
The CMU Pantry is an on-campus resource that is committed to reducing hunger among students by providing food, cleaning supplies, and personal care items to shoppers at no cost.
Accepted Donations
- Unopened non-perishable foods
- Kitchenware (cooking and eating utensils, can openers, pots and pans, rice cookers, hot water kettles, etc). **Please clean kitchenware before donating**
- Cleaning supplies
- Unopened hygiene products (deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner)
Sorry, the CMU Pantry Cannot Accept
- Perishable foods (fruits, vegetables, items that require refrigeration such as meat, dairy, cheese, etc)
- Opened or partially used packages of food
- Opened or partially used hygiene products
- Broken, damaged, or dirty kitchenware
- Microwaves, mini-fridges, or other large/heavy kitchen appliances
How to Donate
Bring your items to the Pantry and drop them off. If the Pantry is closed when you arrive, you can leave your items in the donation cart outside of the Pantry doors. The Pantry is located inside the Residence on Fifth at 4700 Fifth Ave. If you have questions about your Pantry donation, please email cmu-pantry@andrew.cmu.edu.
Other
Do you have something that you’d like to donate, but that item isn’t accepted by SVDP or the Pantry? Do you want to make a donation, but aren’t available during the dates/times the SVDP trucks are on campus? Consider reaching out to one of the following organizations to make your donation:
- Pickup Please is a donation pickup service offered by Vietnam Veterans of America. Pickup Please accepts most items, and will send a truck driver to your location to pick up the donation.
- East Liberty Presbyterian Church is collecting furniture and household goods for refugee families. This collection will take place on Saturday, May 14th from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm in the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Parking Lot (616 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206).
- Thrifty is an all volunteer-run thrift shop located next to the Thomas Merton Center on Penn Ave. Learn more about Thrifty, their mission, and how to donate by visiting their website.
- Goodwill has many donation centers throughout Pittsburgh. You can use their donation center locator tool to find a location to drop off your items.
