• Children and Tutoring
• Faith-Based Service
• Health Initiatives
• Hispanic Initiatives
• Housing and Homelessness
• Hunger
• Senior Citizens
• Service in the Arts
• Trips
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

United Community Action
United Community Action (UCA) is the umbrella organization that includes individual programs offering many opportunities to serve. UCA is dedicated to developing, maintaining, and promoting service at Davidson College and in the community. Its mission is to promote awareness of the needs of others, and to provide opportunities to address those needs. UCA endeavors to unite students, faculty, staff and community members to build a community that instills the practice of service as a way of life.

Executive Officers:

Jason Morales, President
Jack Varon, Vice President
Ryan Weaver, Treasurer
Allyson Vicars, Secretary
Laura Pepper, Publicist

 

 Children and Tutoring

Women’s Shelter
Volunteers encourage the children at the shelter to express themselves through art.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Big Brothers and Big Sisters are Davidson students paired with young children in the Davidson community.  Volunteers are given and expected to fulfill the opportunity to be reliable and constant sources of support and encouragement to their "little brothers and sisters".  With the investment of time (weekly visits to their schools, outings to play/watch sports, etc.) Big Brothers and Sisters foster friendships to help "littles" cope with social, home, and academic issues.

Ada Jenkins After School Program
The Ada Jenkins After School Program is committed to making a difference in the lives of kids.  As volunteers, it is our goal to provide the children with academic guidance, positive role models, mentors, and friends.  In addition, through being involved in the children's lives, the Ada Jenkins Center promotes the idea that working to be both good people and good students will lead to success in school and in life. 

Florence Crittenton
To help serve the community by providing support and childcare for pregnant teenagers, teenage mothers, and their children.

Davidson Elementary Tutoring
Davidson Elementary Tutoring is dedicated to helping children progress academically by giving them individual and focused attention and help.  Furthermore, we strive to be role models by being consistently positive and encouraging mentors.  Our goal is to make reading and math exciting and comfortable for children. 

Mooresville High School Tutoring
Mooresville High School Tutoring is an evening tutoring program that is focused on serving as positive role models for high school students, while educating them through peer group tutoring.

Scholars Helping Scholars
Scholars Helping Scholars is an on-campus tutoring organization available to local schools.  Elementary, Middle and High School students bring specific homework problems to work on with eager Davidson tutors in a plethora of subjects. 

B.E.S.T. (Believing Everyone Should Try)
A community-based program that pairs Davidson College students with physically and/or developmentally challenged youth to take lessons in a variety of recreational activities.  B.E.S.T. reaches out to provide opportunities for all youth to learn and enjoy recreational sports and arts.  The program aims to improve the participant's coordination and balance while building self-esteem. 

                                                                                   

                                                                                                            

 Faith-Based Service

Habitat for Humanity
Work with local Habitat chapters to build homes.

 

                                                                                                            

 Health Initiatives

Hinds Feet Farm
At Hinds Feet Farm, we are dedicated to promoting awareness of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) through education, service, and eventually, hands-on activity.  In the very near future, the farm will begin construction on a residence facility that will house six persons suffering from TBI, in addition to providing all the necessary support staff and even family accommodations.  We will all work together to make living with TBI easier.  Residents at Hinds Feet Farm will cooperate with staff and student volunteers in running such activities as horticulture, arts and crafts, and even horseback riding therapy.  At the farm, we are changing lives for the better. 

American Red Cross Club of Davidson College
The Red Cross Club’s principle goal is to help the community achieve a better understanding of health and safety. This is done by cooperating with the local Red Cross Chapters on a variety of healthcare projects and aid as well as creating a more specialized group of Red Cross volunteers through certification courses.

Chicken Soup Troupe
Chicken Soup Troupe is committed to entertaining hospitalized children by performing plays that they can relate to and enjoy.

Free Clinic of Our Towns
Recognizing that access to healthcare is a basic tenet of a humane society, The Free Clinic of Our Towns is a community wide volunteer organization dedicated to optimizing the health and empowerment of those in need. 

Concord Free Clinic
The mission of the Concord Free Clinic volunteers is to provide students with the opportunity to serve in a medical clinic, providing basic medical services to those in need.

Project Life
Coordinate an annual campus-wide and community Bone Marrow typing drive in order to increase the number of potential donors on the National Bone Marrow Registry.

 

 Hispanic Initiatives

Steps Into the Hispanic Community
Through Steps, children receive valuable mentoring and tutoring. At the same time, their parents, who are learning English as a second language, attend classes taught by students at the YMCA.

Concord Free Clinic
The mission of the Concord Free Clinic volunteers is to provide students with the opportunity to serve in a medical clinic, providing basic medical services to those in need.

The Free Clinic of Our Towns
Spanish translators needed Thursdays at Ada Jenkins.

Scholars Helping Scholars
Scholars Helping Scholars is an on-campus tutoring organization available to local schools.  Elementary, Middle and High School students bring specific homework problems to work on with eager Davidson tutors in a plethora of subjects.  Scholars meet Monday through Thursday, 4:00-5:30 pm in Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Room 206 (handicap-accessible). 
                                                                                                             

 

 Housing and Homelessness

Habitat for Humanity
We aid in the planning, funding, and building of Habitat houses both locally and abroad.  No previous experience in any of these areas is necessary to serve as a Habitat volunteer.

HAMMERS
(Hands Around Mecklenburg Making Emergency Repairs Safely)

Urban Ministry Center
We volunteer at this non-profit organization in Charlotte that provides various services for our homeless neighbors.  Work at the desk!  Serve as a counselor!  Participate in the art program!  We also spread awareness on campus about homelessness through events such as the Knit-a-thon, Faces of Homelessness panel, and art exhibits.

Women's Shelter at Salvation Army
Organizes volunteers to care for infants and provide educational enrichment and arts and crafts for school-aged children.
                                                                                                         

 

 Hunger

CROP
CROP exists to recognize the integrity, need for awareness, and necessity for unifying responsible activity in the global community.  We promote awareness specifically in the issue of world hunger through volunteerism in the Davidson/Charlotte community and weekly lunches of beans, rice, and cornbread, which enable students to eat like most of the world.  In addition, we also traditionally organize a CROP walk in November and an Oxfam Dinner in April.  We also work to empower the visions and hopes of college students seeking to creatively work towards a more just and peaceful society.

                                                                                                            

                                                                                                             

 Senior Citizens

Adopt-a-Grandparent
The purpose of Adopt-a-Grandparent is to forge lasting friendships between Davidson students and senior citizens in and around the Davidson community.  Students are each paired with a "Senior Friend" with whom they keep in touch and visit throughout the semester.  Holiday arts and crafts socials provide an opportunity for all student and senior participants to get to know one another. 

Pines Fellowship
Serving Health Care and Assisted Living residents at The Pines, our vision is to build intergenerational life-affirming relationships through group activities and one-on-one visits. We work closely with the Pines staff to decide how our individual gifts can best meet the social needs of the residents and enhance our own service experience. 
                                                                                                            

 

Service in the Arts

Chicken Soup Troupe
Chicken Soup Troupe is committed to entertaining hospitalized children by performing plays that they can relate to and enjoy.
 

B.E.S.T. (Believing Everyone Should Try)
A community-based program that pairs Davidson College students with physically and/or developmentally challenged youth to take lessons in a variety of recreational activities.  B.E.S.T. reaches out to provide opportunities for all youth to learn and enjoy recreational sports and arts.  The program aims to improve the participant's coordination and balance while building self-esteem. 

                                                                                                             

 

 Trips

Alternative Breaks
Alternative Breaks is dedicated to combining and developing service and reflection in the lives of Davidson students via fall break and spring break service trips.