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About Our Community Partners

Community Partners: Service and Site Time Information

Terps for Change’s community partners focus on a range of social justice issues that impact UMD and the surrounding populations. Some partners have been working with Terps for Change volunteers for years, while others are just beginning their relationships with our program. Terps for Change volunteers are required to commit to doing 2-3 hours of service per week with their selected community partner from about the 3rd week of classes until the last week of classes. Below, you will find more specific information about each of our community partners organized by the primary social issue they address, including the weekly days and times that we will be working with them, and any additional requirements or guidelines for service. Please note that all sites will be taking place in person. Site days and times are subject to change until the semester starts. 


Age & Ageism

Sites that address problems resulting from systemic societal prejudice and discrimination on the grounds of age. 

Social Issue Intersections

Ability, Socioeconomic Inequity

What our partner does 

Seabury Resources for the Aging's mission is to provide personalized, affordable services and housing options to help older adults in Washington, DC to live with independence and dignity. Their Age-in-Place program allows for their clients to continue living in their lifelong homes and apartments by providing volunteers to help with basic upkeep and maintenance that they cannot do themselves.

Find out more at: https://www.seaburyresources.org/

What volunteers will do

Volunteers will work in groups at the residences of elderly and aging community members. The service itself might include house cleanup, yard work, and other upkeep tasks! Volunteers should dress in clothes that they do not mind getting dirty, wear closed-toed shoes, and keep in mind that the sites may contain allergens (pets, dust, pollen, etc.). Volunteers should dress in layers for the weather and bring a reusable water bottle.

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

Fridays | 1:00-4:30 PM | In-person

**This includes travel time. 

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. 

Location: 

Seabury Resources for the Aging, Age-in-Place Program

2501 18th Street, NE, Washington, DC  20018

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times. Do not volunteer if you are feeling ill, as the seniors are often at higher risk of illness.

Other Guidelines

Liability form required.

terps in action

 

Education

Sites that provide access to education outside the traditional classroom in order to respond to the systemic inequitable distribution of academic resources, particularly in communities that are historically and currently oppressed and underserved. 

 What our partner does 

CASA de Maryland is an after-school youth leadership development program. The program provides a supportive environment where students from local PGCPS high schools can gain the confidence, skills, and knowledge they need to graduate and achieve their post-secondary dreams. The model aims to recognize the strengths of each individual as well as the collective power of group problem-solving and community organizing.

Find out more at: https://www.wearecasa.org/

What volunteers will do

Volunteers are needed to assist students with completing their homework and help with ongoing personal enrichment projects. Volunteers will get the opportunity to work closely with youth to develop meaningful relationships. 

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

Tuesdays | 3:15-5:45 PM | In-person

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. 

Location: 

International High School

5150 Annapolis Rd

Bladensburg, MD 20710

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form and CASA new volunteer form required.

CASA volunteers

 

 What our partner does 

Established in 1974, by the City of Greenbelt, Greenbelt CARES is a community based, family oriented counseling program dedicated to promoting responsible behavior and appropriate family management skills. The Vocational / Educational Counselor offers GED preparatory classes, an individual and group tutoring program to assist students in school, and an ODD JOBS/JOB BANK program, to help people with the world of work and help citizens with odd jobs around the community. There is also an Adult ESOL program to help those with low English proficiency. Greenbelt CARES provides an ESOL/conversational English class targeted towards adult learners living in the Springhill Lake/Franklin Park community who are interested in learning English. Participants come from a variety of countries including: El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Cameroon, Iraq, Iran and Taiwan. 

Find out more at: https://www.greenbeltmd.gov/government/departments/greenbelt-cares

What volunteers will do

Students meet one-on-one with community members to tutor and reach any other goals they have set for themselves. Community members will either be from the GED program or the after-school tutoring program. Curricula and education plans are established by the full-time staff who will be there to supervise and help out. 

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

Tuesdays | 3:15PM - 5:45PM | In-person

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. 

Location

6101 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form and background check are required.

Tutoring at Greenbelt CARES

 

 What our partner does 

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System has 18 libraries across Prince George’s County. Kids Achieve Club is housed under Intercultural Services, a department developing partnerships that serve the needs of the people who want to learn English or other languages.  Kids Achieve Club is an online library program that offers first and second graders help with reading and homework. The model aims to recognize the strengths of each individual as well as the collective power of group problem solving and community organizing.

Find out more at: https://www.pgcmls.info/kidsachieve

What volunteers will do

Volunteers are needed to assist students with completing their homework and help with ongoing personal enrichment projects. Volunteers will get the opportunity to work closely with youth to develop a meaningful relationship. 

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

Thursdays | 3:45-5:15 PM | In-person (New Carrollton)

Thursdays | 3:15-5:45 PM | In-person (Glenarden)

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. 

Location

(PGCMLS New Carrollton Branch)

7414 Riverdale Rd, New Carrollton, MD 20784

 

(PGCMLS Glenarden Branch)

8724 Glenarden Pkwy, Glenarden, MD 20706

 

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form, background check, and pre-service orientation required.

terps in action

 

Environmental Conservation

Sites that work to protect natural resources for current and future generations. 

Social Issue Intersections

Food Justice & Hunger

What our partner does 

All 13,000 of the University of Maryland’s acres are managed by the Arboretum & Botanical Garden. An arboretum is a collection of trees and plants maintained for scientific and educational study and public enjoyment. Conservation, preservation, and education are at the heart of the Arboretum & Botanical Garden’s mission. On campus there are several gardens that include native plant species.

Find out more at: https://arboretum.umd.edu/

What volunteers will do

Volunteers will be working around campus to help maintain the gardens and landscaping of campus, while learning about conservation, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. Volunteers will be working alongside the campus arborists to plant native trees and shrubs on the perimeter of campus as part of a reforestation effort.

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

Saturdays (Reiley Garden (possible location changes) | 9:30 AM-11:00 AM | In-person

**This includes travel time. 

Transportation

This site is on campus. Students who live off campus must arrange their own transportation to the site. Travel time above is allotted for students who are on campus to walk to the site.

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form required. 

 

terps in action

 What our partner does 

David C. Driskell Community Park (formerly Magruder Park) is Hyattsville's major park facility and a favorite among the community! At 32 acres, the park is a remarkable hidden gem of green space. Unfortunately, Driskell Park is overrun with invasive species of plants. These invasive species have no local predators and tend to overrun native plants, disrupting the ecosystem and causing problems for both animals in the area and people in the community. 

What volunteers will do

Volunteers will work with Hyattsville city park staff to identify and remove these invasive plants and pick up trash around the park. The staff members also make it a point to take time to appreciate the park and educate volunteers about environmental issues and conservation efforts, making the site an excellent learning experience!

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

Saturdays | 9:30 AM-12:30 PM | In-person

**This includes travel time. 

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. 

Location: 

David C. Driskell Community Park

3911 Hamilton St., Hyattsville, MD 20781

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form required.

terps in action

 

What our partner does 

M-NCPPC seeks to balance preservation with managing the growth of communities, protect and steward natural, cultural, and historic resources, and provide leisure and recreational experiences for both residents and visitors of Maryland. 

Find out more at: www.mncppc.org 

What volunteers will do

Each week volunteers will assist Park Rangers and MNCPPC staff on various conservation, parkland and community beautification projects within walking distance to campus along the Paint Branch Trail, from Metzerott Road to Lake Artemesia. Projects include helping with native plantings, litter pickups, invasive plant removal, tree watering, and trail enhancement projects. Volunteers will work alongside Sierra Club Stewardship Interns to keep the trail clean and inviting and keep track of how much waste and recycling are collected by either counting or weighing bags of both trash and recycling.  Volunteers will also work on maintaining Good Neighbor Day sites around College Park.

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

M-NCPPC | Wednesdays | 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM | In-Person

**This includes travel time. 

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. . 

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form required. Volunteers must pre-register for service with M-NCPPC. Volunteers must wear close-toed shoes to site. Long sleeves and long pants are highly recommended.

terps in action

 

Food Justice & Hunger

Sites that provide food resources to communities impacted by structural barriers to the human right of access to healthy food.

Social Issue Intersections

Environmental Conservation

What our partner does 

TerpFarm is the University of Maryland's very own sustainable vegetable farm. Established in 2014 with funding from the Student Sustainability Grant Fund, TerpFarm is managed by the Department of Dining Services and produces fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to be served to diners on the College Park campus. Food produced on the farm is also donated on a weekly basis to the Campus Pantry program, aimed at improving food security within our campus community. 

Find out more at: https://dining.umd.edu/terp-farm

What volunteers will do

This opportunity will consist of outdoor work at the Terp Farm location. Volunteers will be working on propagation (seeding plant trays, creating soil mixes) and other various duties. 

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

Terp Farm | Saturdays | 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM | In-Person

**This includes transportation time. 

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. 

Location: 

TerpFarm 

2005 Largo Rd, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form required. 

 

terps in action

 What our partner does 

The Campus Pantry is the University of Maryland’s official emergency food service available to students and staff. Established in 2014, the Campus Pantry is managed by the Department of Dining Services and is housed at the University Health Center. The Pantry provides nonperishable foods and fresh produce donated from the UMD Terp Farm and Capital Area Food Bank, free of cost for UMD affiliates. The mission and vision is to alleviate food insecurity among students and staff in need.

Find out more at: http://campuspantry.umd.edu/

What volunteers will do

Volunteers for the pantry will assist the Campus Pantry Interns in donation pickups, organizing and stocking the shelves, developing marketing and awareness campaigns of the pantry, and possibly conducting food drives.

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

UMD Campus Pantry | Tuesdays | 9:00AM - 11:30AM
UMD Campus Pantry | Tuesdays | 3:30-5:30PM. 

UMD Campus Pantry | Wednesdays market support |10:30-12:30 PM
UMD Campus Pantry | Wednesdays market support | 11:30-1:30 PM
UMD Campus Pantry |Wednesdays market support | 1:00-3:30 PM


UMD Campus Pantry| Thursdays | 9:00-11:30 AM
UMD Campus Pantry | Thursdays| 3:00-5:00PM

Transportation

This site is on campus. Students who live off campus must arrange their own transportation to the site.

COVID-19 Protocols

Volunteers must abide by UMD COVID-19 protocols at all times.

Other Guidelines

Liability form required.

Campus Pantry volunteers

 

Socioeconomic Inequity

Sites that provide access to resources that some lack due to the systemic inequitable distribution of wealth in our society. 

What our partner does 

A Wider Circle has the mission to end poverty, and they do not say no to anyone! AWC provides education and job preparedness, long-term support programs, and basic provision items.. Anyone in need can find help in the form of home furnishings, appropriate outfits for work, toys and games for kids, and much more, all at no cost to the clients. 

Find out more at: https://awidercircle.org/

What volunteers will do

Volunteers will be part of A Wider Circle's Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, which furnishes the homes of about 20 families each day. Service includes helping to sort donations and prepare bundles of items for clients to take home.

Spring 2024 Weekly Site Visit Days and Times

A Wider Circle |Thursdays| 2:30PM - 5:30PM | In-Person

**This includes transportation time. 

Transportation

Transportation is provided by Terps for Change from campus to the site. 

Location: 

A Wider Circle, Center for Community Service

9159 Brookville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Partner’s COVID-19 Protocols

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for this site. Volunteers must show either their vaccine card or a photo/copy of their vaccine card upon the first site visit. Volunteers will be socially distant and wear a mask at all times while participating in service.

Other Partner Guidelines

Liability form required. Orientation will be completed in the first week of service.

terps in action

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