This past Saturday, April 13, hundreds of University students came out to participate in the Madison House BIG Event. Through service-oriented activities at various locations around Charlottesville, the BIG Event promotes campus and community unity as students come together for one day to express their gratitude for the support from the surrounding community. Volunteering work could include a variety of activities—from yard work to painting to writing thank-you notes! With over 350 volunteers and 50 job sites, the BIG Event is the largest community service event at UVA, facilitating connections between the student body and the Charlottesville community.
The Head Program Director and one of the organizers of the fifth annual BIG Event was Jyotika Chandhoke, a fourth-year studying commerce, who has been involved in the BIG Event executive team since her second year. Chandhoke feels that Madison House has been an integral part of her UVA experience.
"I've seen first hand the relationships that the BIG Event has cultivated with local homeowners and organizations in just a few short years, and how much of an impact just one day of service can make in building bridges with the Charlottesville community!" Chandhoke said.