Finding My Second Family

By Allie Morehead, Recreation Administration

Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) has been a huge part of my life at Chico State.

I joined CAVE as a freshman because I was looking for a way to be more involved and feel more connected to the campus and community. That spring I volunteered for a program called E.L. Connections. The program sends Chico State volunteers to a two-way immersion school to work with kids who speak English as second language. I always enjoyed volunteering, and these kids would always brighten my day.

After my first semester of volunteering, I decided to join the CAVE staff and have stayed on staff ever since. For the first two years, I was a group leader for E.L. Connections. I interviewed potential volunteers, helped run feedbacks and orientations, called references, and answered any questions any of my volunteers had throughout the semester.

This is now my fifth semester on staff, and I am now a group leader for Outreach/Recruitment. My job is to help market CAVE. I help update CAVE’s social media accounts, decorate the office, make birthday cards for staff members, and a variety of other tasks.

I have learned so much about working in an office, and I can take these skills with me to the real world. I am also thankful for all of the wonderful and amazing friends I have made. CAVE is a second family to me. They have always been there for me while giving me hugs, love, and guidance. I give a huge thanks to CAVE for contributing to my amazing college experience.

For more information on how to join CAVE next semester, call 530-898-5817.

 Are you participating in CAVE now, or volunteering with other organizations? Make sure you log your hours on the My Service Counts website to help the campus community reach 125,000 hours this year. Also, check out the My Service Counts Facebook page for volunteer opportunities around Chico.