Open primary navigation menu
Mobile Dropdown Button

Volunteer Service

University of Mount Saint Vincent students are united by a shared concern for others. Students are inducted into this culture of service during the First Year Experience (FYE) course, and that commitment is sustained through ongoing projects addressing hunger, homelessness, educational disparities, and human trafficking, among many others.

The Seton Service and Leadership Program offers a special opportunity to students who have demonstrated an exemplary devotion to promoting the common good.

Community Outreach

Collaborating with local social service agencies, students have the opportunity to volunteer with some of the most disadvantaged populations all across New York City.

Hunger and Homelessness Outreach

  • Saint Francis Breadline is a social outreach ministry of the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province committed to serving those less fortunate. Meet at 6 a.m. to help hand out food in the breadline down in Midtown.
  • Part of the Solution (POTS) is a social service agency in the Bronx. We bring food donations and work in the kitchen usually on select Sundays leaving campus at 11:15 a.m. and returning by 4:15 p.m.
  • Meet in the Office of Campus Mission and Ministry at 8:30 p.m., and leave campus by 9 p.m. for the Midnight Run. Volunteers travel down to midtown Manhattan to hand out food, clothing, and engage in conversation with the homeless. Arrive back to campus between 12:30-1:30 a.m.
  • Life Experience and Faith Sharing Association (LEFSA) is a weekly outreach to the homeless in New York City. The group meets at 3:45 p.m. on Mondays and returns to campus at about 8:45 p.m.
  • Grand Central Outreach is a weekly, student-led outreach to minister to homeless persons living in and around Grand Central. Volunteers engage individuals in conversation while sharing a meal and providing clothing.

Youth Mentoring and Tutoring

  • POTS Family Club is one-on-one tutoring with a child in the South Bronx. Students may attend a community dinner after tutoring.
  • MASA, founded in 2001 as the Mexican American Students’ Alliance, provides tutoring and mentorship for students in the area.
  • Kids in the Game is a hybrid service of sports and tutoring, allowing volunteers to tutor elementary students and afterwards playing games such as basketball and baseball.

Service with the Sisters

  • Join the Sisters of Charity each Tuesday from late spring until mid-November as they unload and distribute fresh produce from the Sisters Hill Farm in upstate New York from 4 to 6 p.m. behind the Villa Parking Lot as part of SCNY Farm Distribution.
  • Join the Sisters at the Mount Saint Vincent Convent for dinner and conversation through Supper with the Sisters.

Sports Related Service

  • Yonkers Marathon allows volunteers to assist with the setting up water stops for those running the marathon.
  • NYC Mayors Cup allows volunteers to perform a variety of tasks, including setup and breakdown, enhancing the race experience, media relations, and much more. Good for students looking for experience in the sports industry.
  • Wheelchair Basketball Tournament allows volunteers to assist with set up and breakdown, cheering on athletes, time, and score keeping.
  • Tour de Bronx allows volunteers to assist at various locations along the race route to distribute water, check in with athletes, help with set up and breakdown, and much more.

Awareness and Advocacy Events

  • Volunteers are invited to either give blood or help assist with advertising, sign-ups, and escorting donors each day of the Blood Drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Making Strides Walk
  • Out of the Darkness Walk
  • Peoples Climate March

Outreach to People with Developmental Disabilities

  • Dance for PD Riverdale is a movement class for individuals with Parkinson’s and their families, friends, and caregivers. The group meets from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursdays in the Peter Jay Sharp Athletic and Recreation Center.
  • The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center is committed to changing the lives of medically-fragile children, one child at a time. All of their programs are centered around children and their families, respecting individual cultural beliefs and practices.
  • Rising Ground (formerly known as Leake and Watts) continues to positively impact the lives of more than 5,000 children, adults, and families in the greater New York City metro area each day. Rising Ground is a not-for-profit agency committed to addressing a myriad of challenges that confront individuals and families dealing with poverty, disabilities, and a lack of access to education and basic services.

Mission and Ministry Trips

Mission and Ministry trips are extended service trips in which students gain a deeper understanding of our commitment to living the mission of the University. Through hands-on service with those most in need and immersion into new cultures, students gain a new perspective and engage in meaningful opportunities.

Students serve locally in Yonkers, New York City, and New Jersey, domestically in West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and New Orleans, and abroad in the Sisters of Charity Clinics in Guatemala.

For more information or applications, please contact the Office of Campus Mission and Ministry.

Mission and Ministry Trips

  • Saint Francis Inn, Philadelphia
  • St. Bernard Project, New Orleans
  • Guatemala
  • Bethlehem Farm, West Virginia
  • Christian Appalachian Project, McKee, Kentucky

More Service Opportunities

Service through University Employment

Students with tight budgets and a passion for service have opportunities to serve the Riverdale and surrounding communities, and be paid through the University of Mount Saint Vincent’s Work Study program. Students can work with the following organizations:

Riverdale Neighborhood House and Rising Ground

Work with early childhood education students and young teens engaging them in athletic activities, arts and crafts, structured games, and tutoring and homework help. Communication majors assist in promoting these organizations to the larger Riverdale and Yonkers communities.

Student Athlete Service Projects

In keeping with the University’s mission of the development of the whole person, student athletes are encouraged to pursue excellence in the classroom, on the playing fields, and in their communities. Student athletes live and breathe the University’s mission by engaging in service projects, both on and off campus. Examples of activities are listed below:

  • Cleaning up a Yonkers park
  • Assisting with new student move-in
  • Assisting with the Yonkers Marathon
  • Hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Game, raising money for a cure
  • Hosting an Alumni game, raising money for Intracranial Hypertension Research
  • Raising money for the Toys For Children campaign
  • Hosting “Take A Kid To A Game Day”
  • Matthew Sapolin Wheelchair Basketball Tournament
  • Mayor’s Cup