PEACE Volunteer Center

The PEACE (People Exploring Active Community Experiences) Volunteer Center is the main volunteer organization at The University of Tampa. It connects UT students, faculty and staff with numerous service organizations in the Tampa Bay area, and provides students with opportunities for service-learning through projects that benefit the community.

More than 300 community agencies collaborate with PEACE on various volunteer projects. Some of these include the Humane Society, Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army, homeless shelters, and elementary schools. The organization also hosts group projects at sites such as Habitat for Humanity, Haven W. Poe Runaway Center and the Ronald McDonald House.

Students, faculty and staff complete a total of approximately 20,000 volunteer hours through PEACE in a given year. About 69 percent of graduating seniors have done community service at UT.

PEACE Services

While PEACE maintains an active schedule of service opportunities throughout the year, two annual events – “Into the Streets” in August, and the “Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service” in January – attract the largest numbers of volunteers each year. Hundreds of students, as well as faculty and staff, typically participate in each of these events.

The Alternative Breaks Program is another popular service opportunity developed by the PEACE Volunteer Center. Participants travel outside of the Tampa Bay area to serve those in need. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the program includes six different service trips addressing issues of terminal illness, homelessness, hurricane relief and sustainability. The trips take place during weekends, winter break, spring break, and the summer.

Some of PEACE’s other annual service events include Metropolitan Ministries clothing drives, the Salvation Army’s Adopt-An-Angel program, and the OXFAM Hunger Banquet.

In addition to annual volunteer service projects, PEACE:

• Plans weekly service projects for individuals and groups;
• Locates work-study jobs for students;
• Promotes advocacy through social action, empowerment, and representation of underprivileged groups.
• Aids organizations in choosing and planning a community service project
• Helps individuals select ongoing volunteer relationships with agencies
• Aids faculty and students with service learning opportunities
• Offers class presentations on finding volunteer or service-learning opportunities
• Provides forms for volunteers for verifying service hours
• Produces newsletters and updated information for volunteer opportunities

Contact Information

For more information, please contact the PEACE Volunteer Center, Vaughn Center, Room 206 at (813) 253-6263 or peace@ut.edu.
Send mail to:

PEACE Volunteer Center
401 West Kennedy Blvd., Box P
Tampa, FL 33606

PEACE Student Coordinators
Hannah Duprey
Mike Seitzler