Fifth Annual Anteaters in Service Day Sept. 7, 2024

ANTEATERS IN SERVICE DAY SEPT. 7, 2024

More than 260 passionate UC Irvine alumni, students, family and friends fanned out across the country – and in the U.K. – to donate their time and energy for the Fifth Annual Anteaters in Service Day. Since 2020, UC Irvine alumni have rallied together on this day to launch simultaneous service projects in their communities, continuing the university’s mission to better the world. While some participants partnered with the Surfrider Foundation to clean up Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County, others worked with CoastSweep to clear Tenean Beach in Boston. Volunteers served food to the unhoused at Blanchet House in Portland, Oregon. Across multiple locations, they sorted thousands of donated shoes and clothing items, as well as collected and assembled educational materials for schoolchildren. At the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, Anteaters packed thousands of apples. Says Claudia Keller ’87, the food bank’s CEO and a board member of the UC Irvine Alumni Association: “UCI has an ethos of service, and we have a mission that touches people’s hearts. I was telling some of the volunteers that what they’re doing is critical to our mission of getting food out to food pantries. But the experience that folks have here is that they also learn a little bit about food insecurity. They talk to our staff, they commune with each other, and you leave a little bit different every time you volunteer here or anywhere.”

SERVICE DAY SNAPSHOT

A total of 263 Anteaters participated, contributing over 700 hours of volunteer service, at 11 Southern California locations, plus seven regional events across the U.S. and the first-ever international project – in London. Some of the impact highlights:

• 7,400 pounds of food was processed for food banks

• 1,200 senior food packages were prepared

• 200 meals were served

• 95 pounds of trash was collected while clearing more than 2 miles of shoreline

• 925 STEAM kits were prepared for schoolchildren

• 400 trees were pruned or otherwise cared for

• 500 gently used donations were sorted and organized

• 500 essential items were collected for local shelters

• 1,000 water bottles were served to marathon runners

• 18 attorneys trained community members to provide local pro bono services

“There are many organizations that can benefit from the helping hand of a volunteer. I encourage you to learn how you, as an Anteater, can make an impact on your local community.”

– Ethan Martinez, ASUCI president

For more information visit the Anteater in Service Day info page