Students gathered at 8:30 a.m on Sept. 11 in Traditions Plaza for Step Forward Day, a volunteering event geared toward first-year and transfer students. 

This year, Step Forward Day brought in over 100 student volunteers to work at 10 service locations including Tiger Pantry, Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center and Access Arts, according to Service Programs Mizzou.

Sarah Peters, a member of the First Year Council, was a part of an 18-person group who went to The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri for Step Forward Day. The organization provides food for 100,000 people a month in 32 Missouri counties. 

“The food pantry helps Northeast and Central communities with food insecurities,” Peters said.“We packed 544 boxes in total, and it will be distributed across 32 counties in Central and Northeast Missouri to eliminate food insecurity.”

The First Year Council, a branch of the Missouri Student Association, used Step Forward Day as a way for its members to get involved with the community. The organization, co-directed by MU sophomore Lucas Hayes, is composed of freshmen and introduces them to leadership opportunities and advocacy work.

“I think First Year Council and Step Forward Day, the combination between the two, gets students’ feet wet in the beginning because freshmen have difficulty putting themselves out there, especially in the service realm,” Hayes said. “So introducing themselves early is a great way to develop their leadership right off the bat.”

Sophia Douglas, a member of the First Year Council, waited in line to sign in despite the early call time.

“To me, service is food for the soul, even at 8:30 on a Saturday,” Douglas said.

For some, events like Step Forward Day help forge bonds with people who share the same drive for service. 

“Going to college is very intimidating and finding community is important, and helping the community is the best way to do that,” Peters said.

This year, Step Forward Day takes on a new importance as Columbia service organizations saw dwindling volunteers during the pandemic. According to an article from ABC 17, mid-Missouri non-profit organizations saw a drastic “summer slump” from a lack of volunteers while their service needs increased substantially. 

“I think a lot of people are in need coming out of the pandemic, and it’s really important to step up and help the people within your community recover from this,” Peters said.

Although Step Forward Day was canceled last year due to COVID-19, according to Hayes, the event recognizes its impact as a way to build up the community. 

Olivia Bailey, a graduate research assistant involved with Step Forward Day, said the event was significant as Columbia emerges from the pandemic. 

“I think a lot of people have been missing in-person contact and connection,” Bailey said. “Not just students, but members of the Columbia community who are so used to having Mizzou as an institution and having interactions with the students, so this is a great opportunity to build those partnerships again.” 

Edited by Emmet Jamieson, ejamieson@themaneater.com