On Oct. 20, Service Club kicked off their year with a trash pick-up at Veterans Memorial Park. Ten members of the club met up on a chilly Saturday to gather trash and recycling for GIVE 365, a local program that works to take care of Ann Arbor’s parks and natural areas.

Chava Makman-Levinson, a junior and a leader of the club, thought the experience was very meaningful. “It’s important for everyone to do their part in helping make the world a cleaner and more environmentally friendly place,” Makman-Levinson said. She says the club was able to pick up ten bags of trash and another ten of recycling in just an hour, which shows how any amount of time devoted to volunteer work can have a real effect on the environment.

For newer members of the club, like freshman Leah van der Velde, the event was a great introduction to the work that Service Club does, and a way to learn how to be an active member of the community.

“It felt good,” van der Velde said. “It was fun and I was doing something good, and I got to get to know people. It made me want to do more community service.” As someone who is interested in environmental activism, van der Velde was proud of what the club accomplished and hopes they will continue to do similar work throughout the year.

GIVE 365 has many volunteer opportunities for all ages and all levels of commitment. For those who are interested in helping to take care of Ann Arbor’s 159 parks, the program’s page on the City of Ann Arbor’s website lists different ways to get involved.