Here’s a brief recap of POMP’s main community service activities in 2015:

4th Annual Pack to Attack Hunger 2015

On Nov. 14, POMP students joined other UCF students at the CFE Arena to package healthy meals for hungry children and families. Currently, one in six Floridians struggle with hunger every day. In total, the event packaged 151,000 meals for local children and families, 10,000 of which were sent to Zambia in Africa to feed orphans through the Family Legacy Zambia Tree of Life Organization.

1st Rent-A-Pup Event

The mission of Knight-Thon, UCF’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon and largest student-run philanthropy, is to educate, inspire and unite our campus and community to provide ongoing support for Greater Orlando Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Student teams raise money year-round through fundraising events and personal appeals. In the spring, students stand for 20 hours to celebrate their fundraising efforts and the children they have raised money to support.

In 2014, POMP and Rosen Life partnered to create the first Rosen College Knight-Thon team and raised more than $2,000. On Nov. 2, POMP partnered with Pet Rescue by Judy to fill the Rosen College campus with puppies that students could “rent” in exchange for donations to Knight-Thon. The event raised more than $500 in just four hours.

UCF’s Dance Marathon will be held at the CFE Arena on April 2. The Rosen College Miracle Makers team fundraising goal is $3,000.

Fraternity members spent hours in the cold waters of the springs ripping out algae that’s choking the natural treasure. It was the second year Sigma Chi has volunteered for the “Restore the Blue” initiative.

There were about 100 college and high school students participating, with members of Sigma Chi from UCF and Florida Southern College in Lakeland making up the largest contingent. Organizer Russell Bryant, a retired history professor who swims in the springs every morning, said the fraternity members were “the backbone” of the algae cleanup.

“Adults don’t like jumping into the cold water at Wekiwa Springs,” Bryant said. “It was very impressive. I was surprised how enthusiastic they were. Whatever needed done, they didn’t complain, they just did it.”

About 30 members of Sigma Chi’s Eta Pi chapter at UCF participated, president Tyler Wright said.

“It was freezing, but we got to work,” Wright said. “It’s a great project, and we’re always open to helping out our brothers and helping out the community.”

Some 40 million gallons of crystal clear water from the Floridan Aquifer flows out of Wekiwa Springs every day. The boil where tourists now swim used to be nothing but blue water and sandy bottom, but development near the state park has brought trace amounts of nitrogen pollution from septic tanks, fertilizer, and runoff from roads. That’s fed algae growth that has turned the springs a sickly green.

Sigma Chi members, along with the Wekiva Wilderness Trust and Friends of the Wekiva River, used nets and buckets to remove algae, which was then screened for snails before being discarded. Native snails were returned to the springs, but most of snails were invasive.

“There is no way to clean algae out of the springs without getting people in the water and doing it by hand,” said Wright, a 21-year-old senior. “We could definitely see a difference.”

The fraternity’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In part because of projects like the springs cleanup, Sigma Chi on Wednesday received the “Most Improved Chapter of the Year Award” from the UCF Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

“We continue to be impressed with the dedication, drive and commitment to excellence our Sigma Chi chapter has displayed in the UCF and local community,” said Clay Coleman, director of student affairs for Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Led by Volunteer UCF, UCF’s inaugural Day and Knight of Service will offer students and members of the community six 4-hour shifts to volunteer for 21 organizations that address a combined 12 social issues.

“This is a great and unique opportunity for us as a community to come together and help make a difference,” said VUCF student director Todd Currie. “We are hoping that this event can become a staple in our spring semester programming for years to come.”

The first 12 hours of service will be on campus at Lake Claire, and food and entertainment will be provided as students move among different volunteering opportunities. Four-hour shifts to follow will move volunteers to different sites throughout the community, and then activities will return to campus.

Students have the option of volunteering by themselves or in a team. Awards will be given at the end of the event for categories such as team attendance, most spirited team and total service hours contributed.

More information about the event, including how to register, is at .

To create awareness and encourage support, the Rosen College Miracle Makers hosted “For The Kids” (FTK) Day at Rosen College on Monday, Feb. 2. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., students enjoyed free food, games, music and raffle prizes. Students donated to Knight-Thon and signed the “50 Days ‘Til Knight-Thon” banner to show their support for Rosen College’s first Knight-Thon team.

Over 150 students interacted with the Rosen College Miracle Maker team captains and volunteers. Their goals are to have at least 25 students on the team and raise $10,000 by March 28.

For more information or to learn how you can help, please contact RosenMiracleMakers@gmail.com and like the on Facebook.

Volunteers will meet at UCF and then be transported to 25 different service sites throughout Central Florida, such as the Evans Community School, Oakland Nature Preserve and Habitat for Humanity of Seminole. More than 1,300 volunteers are expected.

“We’re really looking forward to having UCF students, faculty and alumni working together,” said VUCF student director Todd Currie. “This year, we plan on hosting the largest Knights Give Back in VUCF history with more organizations and volunteers than ever before.”

This year’s event is anticipated to facilitate about 5,200 hours of community service, totaling more than $117,000 of community impact. Over the past seven years, more than 5,000 students, employees and alumni have volunteered at Knights Give Back, resulting in more than 20,000 hours of service for the Orlando community and a financial impact of more than $400,000.

Part of Volunteer UCF, the Alternative Break Program offers volunteer opportunities and trips for students throughout the year to take part in service projects in different communities and learn about social issues.

Each group includes eight student participants, a faculty advisor and a student site leader.

“I have participated in four trips and am leading the Teach for America trip to Mississippi this Spring Break,” said Brittney Osterhoudt, student director of the Alternative Break Program. “Each trip is a new experience that is truly life-altering.”

“I gain more awareness each time and learn something new about myself. These trips truly change lives—those in the communities served and the volunteers. One thing that amazes me is every time I serve, I gain much more than I give, which I think everyone who attends a trip would agree with.”

This Spring Break, the Alternative Break Program offers 14 different trips in eight states and Guatemala.

Some of these trips include:

Learn more about the and future trips.

From 10:15 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Dec. 31, members of the two spirit squads will join with fans from both schools to pack meals for hungry residents. UCF and Baylor fans will work side-by-side at the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance warehouse in Phoenix.

From to 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, other members of the two spirit squads and mascots Knightro and Bruiser will visit Phoenix Children’s Hospital, 1919 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix, to meet with children and their families.

“Serving others is an important part of our UCF culture, whether we are in Orlando or Arizona,” said Maribeth Ehasz, UCF’s vice president for Student Development and Enrollment Services. “We look forward to joining our friends from Baylor to help provide food for families in need and bring smiles to the faces of children who are spending the holidays in the hospital.”

“The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl may be the primary reason we have traveled to Phoenix but it is not the sole reason,” said Kevin Jackson, vice president for Student Life at Baylor ����ֱ��. “As Baylor Bears, it is in our DNA to serve others who are in need. It will be especially meaningful to do so alongside UCF fans.”

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, the world’s first food bank, distributes emergency food boxes at no cost to individuals and families in need. The boxes are designed to provide temporary food assistance during times of crisis, and recipients include the elderly, children, working families and the homeless.

The food bank event will be held at the St. Mary’s warehouse at 2831 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix, and it will begin with a 10:15 a.m. safety briefing. Participants will pack meals from 10:30 a.m. until noon. The warehouse is only about a 10-minute drive from downtown Phoenix hotels where many fans will be staying.

“We congratulate Baylor and UCF on fantastic seasons and welcome their students, administrators and fans to the Valley of the Sun and the Fiesta Bowl,” St. Mary’s President and CEO Beverly Damore said. “One in five Arizonans and one in four of our children don’t know where their next meals will come from, so we are excited and blessed that Bears and Knights fans have chosen to join us in the fight against hunger in Arizona. Thank you and we will see you all on Dec. 31 as we work side by side.”

UCF and Baylor fans ages 12 and older are invited to participate, and space will be limited to 60 people per school.

Participants must register in advance and can do so by going to and clicking on Register. After creating a volunteer profile, fans should click Pick an Opportunity. Scroll down the left side of the page to find Invitation Code. UCF fans should enter UCF2014. Volunteers will receive a confirmation email afterward.

The food bank will supply all of the food for the boxes. Participants can choose to make a $5 donation to cover the costs of filling one emergency food box. Each box contains the equivalent of a three- to four-day supply of food for a family of four.

The day is Knights Give Back, an annual UCF tradition that encourages members of the UCF community to volunteer and make a difference in Central Florida.

Since 2007, UCF volunteers have spent more 16,000 hours working on community service projects through Knights Give Back. During last year’s event, more than 1,000 Knights committed their Saturdays to taking part in various service projects in the area.

Some of this year’s UCF volunteers will:

In addition, members of the UCF Alumni Chapter of Chicago will volunteer with the Chicago Parks District. Activities will include planting gardens, mulching trees and other various park improvements.

For a full list of this year’s Knights Give Back volunteer projects, visit .

With more than 90 chapters across the United States, the Zeta Beta Tau national organization each year selects one chapter as its most outstanding for best representing the tenets of intellectual awareness, social responsibility, integrity and brotherly love.

UCF’s Delta Iota chapter, founded in 2005, has more than 90 members and has made an impact in Orlando through community service. The chapter raised $11,500 for the Children’s Miracle Network through philanthropic work during the past year.

“The Delta Iota chapter takes community service very seriously, which is why we take hospital tours of the Arnold and Winnie Palmer children hospitals in downtown Orlando various times each semester and really try to work with the children benefited by the Children’s Miracle Network,” said Daniel Balva, the chapter’s president.

“Not only are we able to see firsthand where the money we raise throughout the year goes to, but doing so motivates our members to continue working hard to provide for these families and children in need of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ assistance.”

Members of the fraternity also have traveled to Guatemala for a medical mission and raised $3,000 to support Misioneros Del Camino, an orphanage in the poverty-stricken city of Sumpango.

The fraternity this year raised $1,000 during Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. Delta Iota also partners with the Seminole County Public Works Department to organize road cleanups to help the environment and better the community.

To learn more about UCF’s chapter of Zeta Beta Tau, visit zbtucf.com.

Olson and eight other students will travel to San Miguel de Sarapiqui to volunteer on an organic coffee farm and work with children at three primary schools as part of UCF’s Alternative Break Program.

The program sends teams of students around the country—and for the first time this year, international—to engage in community service and learn about social issues as they grow as individuals and impact lives.

“I think it’s important for students to be involved with service, no matter whether it is a week-long experience or a day-long experience,” said Olson. “Taking a week to do something for others is a great way to learn about yourself and reflect on what you want out of your future.”

Olson, who is active in community service through Volunteer UCF, created a partnership with the organization Dressed in Hope, which sews handmade dresses and dolls for impoverished young girls. Through the partnership, students on Olson’s trip will donate dresses prepared at October’s Knights Give Back campus service day to the girls in Costa Rica. The students have also collected soccer balls for the young boys.

The Alternative Break Program offers a variety of volunteer opportunities during spring and winter breaks and a long weekend in the fall. This year, there are 12 spring break trips.

Each trip includes eight participants, one student site leader and a faculty advisor. Students must apply for the programs online and attend group and individual interviews.

Several students are repeat volunteers, including Alternative Break Program Director Sammantha Pendergast.

“I fell in love with the ideas and potential the program had to offer,” said Pendergast, a senior who will make her third trip next week. “Students gain a deeper understanding of the various social issues that surround us on a daily basis. They become empowered to raise awareness and provide higher quality care to the community.”

For more information about the Alternative Break Program, visit .