WCBA Dare to Care Day

By Courtney Cina
Jambar Contributor

Fifty-five volunteers and staff members were in attendance at the Dare to Care event at Youngstown State University. The March 29 event was organized by the Williamson College of Business and Administration.

WCBA’s Dare to Care Day was an opportunity for students to not only volunteer, but also see what goes on behind the scenes and what an average workday is like at a nonprofit organization.

Karen Conklin, executive director at American Red Cross Lake to River Chapter, was grateful for the opportunity to work with YSU students.

“The YSU students were so helpful with the American Red Cross due to Dare to Care. Our 10 volunteers helped install smoke detectors in homes around Youngstown,” she said.

Conklin said she is grateful for the opportunity of Dare to Care and also to know that these students are now more educated on fire safety.

Students drove and walked to their host organizations in the morning and volunteered in the afternoon.

The other host organizations were American Welfare League, Boys & Girls Clubs of Youngstown, Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley, Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley, Oh WOW!, SMARTS and Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries.

Laura Dewberry, marketing professor in the WCBA, was a large influence on the event due to the courses she teaches on nonprofit organizations.

“This is an opportunity to make a difference in the community one day, to see what one’s day is like working with nonprofit organizations,” she said.

Dewberry said a nonprofit organization is a group organized for purposes other than generating profit and in which no part of the organization’s income is distributed to its members, directors or officers.

With the many available nonprofit organizations located close to campus, these nonprofit organizations had volunteers ready to work with YSU students. Here, students experienced the day in and day out agendas of each organization.

Amanda Paynter, YSU junior and president of the Student Nonprofit Leadership Organization, highlighted the students perspective for this event.

“Our dean, Betty Jo Licata, wanted a medium for business majors to give back,” Paynter said.

The group activities for participants at the Dare to Care event not only helped to make a difference, but to discover various careers that exist in the nonprofit sector of business.

“One of the bigger benefits is realizing the difference between for-profits and nonprofit organizations and the different type of nonprofits that exist,” Paynter said.

Paynter said having YSU students exposed to this community brings the understanding and the missions of this event.

Brooke Lissy, YSU student and vice president of the Student Nonprofit Leadership Organization said this event showed how working with nonprofits is a career path in which people can give back, and Dare to Care gives a better understanding and insights to the YSU students volunteering.

“All students can find a nonprofit that they’re passionate about no matter what their major is, and Dare to Care Day is a great way to learn more about one,” she said.

Lissy said the event was a perfect example for students interested in pursuing a career in nonprofit organizations to get out there and get their feet wet.