Volunteer Stories

Virtual Exchange Underway for Belgian and U.S. University Students

Virtual Exchange Underway for Belgian and U.S. University Students

The Presidential Precinct, in partnership with Meridian International Center, the U.S. Department of State, and Madison House at the University of Virginia, is proud to announce a brand new virtual exchange opportunity between Belgian university students and students at the University of Virginia.

Core participants include eight Belgian student leaders, some of whom traveled to Charlottesville for the March 2018 “Promoting Youth Leadership through Intercultural and Interfaith Relations” International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project. Participating University of Virginia students were selected through a competitive application process implemented by Madison House.

Volunteers of the Week: Caroline Hallowell and Mikaela Richardson

Volunteers of the Week: Caroline Hallowell and Mikaela Richardson

Mikaela Richardson (CLAS '22) and Caroline Hallowell (CLAS '21) started the Hoos Helping Initiative along with Dr. Rose Cole, Madison House's Director of Community Engagement.

The program was created in response to courses moving online last spring. Hoos Helping matches UVA students to community partners, such as youth workers and educators, to provide completely virtual assistance.

HELP LINE IS BACK AND READY TO DISCUSS YOUR PROBLEMS, BIG AND SMALL

HELP LINE IS BACK AND READY TO DISCUSS YOUR PROBLEMS, BIG AND SMALL

When Shapiro got to UVA, he was scrolling through the website of Madison House – the independent, nonprofit volunteer center for UVA students – looking for volunteering opportunities when he came across HELP Line.

HELP Line is a free and confidential telephone hotline serving UVA and the surrounding area. It is a student-run and student-operated empathetic listening and referral hotline, staffed entirely by anonymous UVA student volunteers.

“I thought, ‘This has got to be the coolest thing ever,’” Shapiro said.