Ellington

The economy’s precarious state has affected people of all economic backgrounds, making job positions competitive and scarce. It may have also sparked a wave of positive attitude throughout the community. This turn has already started to appear in community outreach programs, churches and on campus, affecting different areas of the community in unexpected ways.

Community outreach programs at the UW, such as Pipeline and the Carlson Center, continue to receive a strong amount of enthusiastic volunteers, who take part in a variety of service projects.

Matt Wojciakowski, community engagement coordinator for the Carlson Center, said the Center has been receiving more interest and more applicants since last September.

This year, Carlson received a record 1,400 participants who engaged in the service projects in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Compared to the 700 who participated in 2005, this year’s event hosted the largest number of registered volunteers in the UW’s history and included 60 agencies and 64 projects.

Wojciakowski said that the lack of job availability has contributed to the increased interest in service work and that students have particularly taken greater interest in applying for volunteer programs associated with scholarship awards, such as the Students in Service AmeriCorps Program.

The program, interconnected with the Carlson Center, allow students to do just about any kind of unpaid service to earn an educational award to help pay for tuition, loans and other educational expenses. Due to the economic decline, students have taken greater interest in the program for financial help.

“It’s harder for students to find jobs that they find meaningful and engaging versus some of the fellowships and internships through Carlson that really offer that event though they don’t offer quite as much money,” Wojciakowski said.

UW sophomore Emily Marriott, a volunteer at East African Community Services said volunteer opportunities provide educational opportunities as well as an inlet to get involved.

“People are seeing the negative impacts on everything,” she said, when asked about the impact of the economy. “They are seeing how they can make a difference and taking advantage of that opportunity.”

Some contribute the increase in service work to the strong influence of President Obama’s “Yes We Can” campaign.

“Obama’s emphasis on civil engagement has definitely created a tone for service,” said Kristin Quackenbush, the Pipeline program coordinator.

In addition, it appears that Obama’s popularity has brought community service to the mainstream.

“Obama has made service into a kind of trendy thing,” said Dolly Nguyen, a Pipeline volunteer project coordinator. “People have a heightened sense of what’s needed and all of a sudden people are realizing that there are a lot of different areas in the community that have been neglected.”

Since the start of winter quarter, Pipeline has offered 15 Inner Pipeline seminars, a credited course that allows students to volunteer and received academic credit.

The number of seminars has increased more than ever before, offering a variety of educational service projects ranging from environmental education to creative writing.

However, Pipeline is not the only program benefitting from Obama’s influence and the economy’s instability. Change has affected non-profit organizations such as Goodwill as people have not only grown into the volunteering spirit, but have also made more efforts to give.

Marsha Keller, an administrative trainee supervisor at the Bellevue Goodwill, said six to 800 cars now come through the Goodwill parking lots every day.

She said that the present state of the economy has also driven many to change not only the way they consume, but their lifestyles and attitudes toward recycling and going green, keeping donations high by bringing in their used goods rather than throwing them away.

“People have changed the way they shop,” Keller said.

In the past two years, Goodwill has opened two stores in Washington. If the economy continues at its present state, Keller said this would lead to the growth of the Goodwill company and the opening of more stores nationwide.

The cross between the economic downfall and the new presidential administration has produced a new source of inspiration and motivation toward volunteer work.

Reach contributing writer Elle Kim at development@dailyuw.com.