Volunteer ⋅ Page 1

Gardeners Make Community Impact

Greene County Master Gardeners donate fresh grown produce to local food pantries

Those who have planted gardens feel that they have “done something for the good of the whole world,” wrote American author Charles Dudley Warner in 1871. For Greene County Master Gardeners Maryfrances DiGirolamo and James Hilburn, gardening has become a way to give back to their community, doing “something for the good of the world.” They use their University of…

After Hours: Working With His Hands

Michal Zigo volunteers time with Columbia Parks and Rec and Household Hazardous Waste Collection, in addition to being a Recycling Ambassador for the city

It was only after the City of Columbia’s December 2017 Volunteer of the Month had accumulated, as he puts it, “a bunch of” speeding tickets that his volunteer work with the city began. Every other weekend, one can typically find Michal Zigo, a post-doctoral fellow in animal sciences, cleaning up parks and streams around Columbia. According to Michal, going out…

Finding Strength

Lauren Jackson's life experiences have allowed her to give back

Lauren Jackson came to the University of Missouri to study journalism in 1997. Jackson lived in Texas before making the trek to Mizzou and had her sights set on becoming a sports broadcaster. She graduated with a degree in advertising in 2001 and developed a love for numbers during those four years. She had a student job in the department…

The Volunteer Tourist

Getting and giving the best in a vacation

Volunteer tourism is an emerging trend in the travel industry. Here, tourists engage in some sort of volunteerism in addition to typical vacation activities. Volunteer tourists might build schools or homes in developing countries, or even provide medical care, as part of their trips.