CBU Serves

In the past, September of Service was a month-long, student-led project started in 2012 by Dr. Tracie Burke, with the aim to partner with a different Memphis non-profit organization every day in September while upholding the Lasallian values, engaging Memphis communities through leadership, and inspiring spiritual growth through service.

Please join this year’s CBU Serves/SOS Leaders in bringing that experience to a new generation of students at CBU and expanding it to the year-long CBU Serves.

CBU Volunteer Management System:

The CBU Community can register for a personal profile on the CBU Volunteer Management Portal using their cbu.edu email address. The Portal allows us to track hours as individuals and teams in one convenient place! It’s also app-friendly (Cause Connect within the Apple App Store and Google Play). If you have any questions, contact Director Justin Brooks (jbrook13@cbu.edu).

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities & Events

CBU Buc Stop Pantry
Monday – Thursday| 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Stritch Hall
This is a great opportunity for students to connect with the CBU Community and collect several service hours on campus. Your shifts can vary based on your selections and availability.

CBU Campus Ministry: PB&J Sandwich Making for St. Mary’s!
It’s another year of CBU on the horizon and, with such, another year of PB&J sandwich-making with Campus Ministry! For years, Campus Ministry and a platoon of students have been making PB&J sandwiches to donate to St. Mary’s to feed those less fortunate. This year will be no different! To volunteer, please respond within the Volunteer Management System.

Junior Achievement of Memphis: (2023-2024 Volunteer Opportunities and Links)

Porter Leath: Fall Festival and Halloween: October 1-31, 2023
Join Porter Leath at one of their preschools and serve children aged from birth to 5 years old. You can choose to volunteer individually or with your group Monday through Friday between 9:00 am to 11:30 am and/or 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Click on the link to the Volunteer Management System Portal.

One-Time Volunteer Opportunities

Junior League of Memphis: Senior Grocery and Fellowship Program
Thursday, September 28 | 12:30 – 2;30 pm | Lester Community Center, 317 Tillman Street, Memphis, TN 38112
Our neighbors with the Junior League of Memphis will pack groceries and serve lunch to seniors at Lester Community Center (317 Tillman St, Memphis, TN 38112) from 12:30 – 2:30 pm. If you would like to help with this volunteering opportunity, please respond on the Volunteer Management System.

Titus 2 Ministries: Fall 2023 Women’s Conference
Friday, September 29 | 5:00 pm -9:00 pm| Tabernacle Church, 7701 HWY 51, Southaven, MS 38671
Transforming Lives Church is looking for 10 female volunteers for their Fall 2023 Women’s Conference, taking place this Friday. For more information on how to attend, please contact Host and First Lady Chiquita Turner via her email (cturner@cogic.org) or phone (901-947-9316).

CBU Alumni Weekend 2023: CBU “SERVE Love” w/ Catholic Charities of West TN
Saturday, September 30 | 9:00 – 11:00 am | Boshwit Courtyard on campus, 650 East Parkway S., Memphis, TN
The service project for Alumni Weekend 2023 is right around the corner. From 9:00 – 11:00 am, in Boshwit Courtyard (located in front of Buckman Hall on the CBU Campus), you can help us and hundreds of other #Bucs prepare hygiene and food kits that will be used by those in need served by Catholic Charites of West TN. We aim to create 2,000+ kits, so we’ll need everyone’s help, and all ages are welcome to do so!

Send Relief: Clothing Giveaway
Saturday, September 30 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | 3034 Austin Peay Hwy, Memphis, TN 38128
Volunteers will assist with setting up tables that will hold donated clothing, unload bags of clothing and sort the clothing, assist visitors with loading bags of clothes, and bag up leftover clothes. Volunteers will also clean up debris around the property or other cleaning projects. Please respond on the Volunteer Management System.

St. Jude Walk/Run Memphis
Saturday, September 30 | Hours Vary | 357 Riverside Drive, Memphis, TN 38103
Would you like to volunteer for the St. Jude Walk/Run 2023?
If so, you will join thousands of nationwide volunteers supporting over 40 events to help cure childhood cancer. Walk/Run participants and volunteers are encouraged to fundraise in this national effort. To simplify it, volunteer registration is in the same system as the fundraising campaign. Please know that fundraising is optional, and we welcome your volunteer service whether or not you take advantage of the fundraising opportunity. If you want to fundraise as a volunteer, the website has several tools and resources to help you.

MSCS – Lunch Buddy Program
October 2-6, 2023
Memphis-Shelby County Schools are in need of volunteers for the 2023-2024 school year to provide an hour of their time every two weeks through their Middle School Lunch Buddy Program. Interested students respond through the Volunteer Portal to find out more information.

Paint Memphis “2023 Pant Festival”: Festival Volunteers
Saturday, October 7 | Edge District | TBD
Paint Memphis is back again with another great festival, this time focusing on the historic “Edge District”! As with last year, they will need volunteers for the day of the festival, scheduled for October 7, 2023. So, if you’d like to volunteer and meet some amazing artists in the process, please respond through the Volunteer Portal. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dr. Karen Golightly (kgolight@cbu.edu)!

Sista 2 Sista: Drop-In Center
Saturday, October 7 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Send Relief Memphis, 3034 Austin Peay Hwy, Memphis, TN 38128
Send Relief: Memphis Ministry Center is asking for volunteers to help with a monthly facility clean-up. For questions, please contact Ms. Trisha Henderson via email (trishahendersoncherry@gmail.com) or phone (901-491-4279). Please respond through the Volunteer Portal.

Memphis Zoo: “Zoo Boo Volunteers”
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 13-15 | Hours Vary | 2000 Prentiss Place, Memphis, TN 38112
Volunteer for the Memphis Zoo Boo through the Volunteer Portal.

MSCS – Lunch Buddy Program
October 16-20, 2023
Memphis-Shelby County Schools are in need of volunteers for the 2023-2024 school year to provide an hour of their time every two weeks through their Middle School Lunch Buddy Program. Interested students respond through the Volunteer Portal to find out more information.

Memphis Zoo: “Zoo Boo Volunteers”
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 20-22 | Hours Vary | 2000 Prentiss Place, Memphis, TN 38112
Volunteer for the Memphis Zoo Boo through the Volunteer Portal.

Binghampton Community Church’s Mobile Food Pantry
Saturday, October 21 |8:00 am – 12:00 pm | 3006 Johnson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112
Volunteers would be asked to serve from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm for this opportunity, and if you have any further questions, please contact Ms. Shugg via email (kineatristwomack@gmail.com) or phone (601-497-1675). Please respond in the Volunteer Portal and be sure to register to make sure your hours are recorded.

Junior League of Memphis: Senior Grocery and Fellowship Program
Thursday, October 26 | 12:30 – 2:30 pm | 317 Tillman St., Memphis, TN 38112
Junior League of Memphis will be packing groceries and serving lunch to seniors at Lester Community Center (317 Tillman St, Memphis, TN 38112) from 12:30 – 2:30 PM. Sign up through the Volunteer Portal.

Memphis Zoo: “Zoo Boo Volunteers”
October 26-31 | Hours Vary | 2000 Prentiss Place, Memphis, TN 38112
Volunteer for the Memphis Zoo Boo through the Volunteer Portal.

Send Relief: Clothing Giveaway
Saturday, October 28 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | 3034 Austin Peay Hwy, Memphis, TN 38128
Volunteers will assist with setting up tables that will hold donated clothing, unload bags of clothing and sort the clothing, assist visitors with loading bags of clothes, and bag up leftover clothes. Volunteers will also clean up debris around the property or other cleaning projects. Please respond on the Volunteer Management System.

26th Annual Step Up for Down Syndrome Family Fun Walk
Sunday, October 29 | 12:00 – 4:00 pm | Bert Ferguson Park, 8505 Trinity Rd., Cordova, TN 38018
The Down Syndrome Association of Memphis and the Mid-South are looking for volunteers and teams to participate in this year’s 26th Annual Step Up for Down Syndrome Family Fun Walk. Please respond through the Volunteer Portal.

MSCS – Lunch Buddy Program
October 30 to November 3
Memphis-Shelby County Schools are in need of volunteers for the 2023-2024 school year to provide an hour of their time every two weeks through their Middle School Lunch Buddy Program. Interested students respond through the Volunteer Portal to find out more information.

Community Events

Faith, Service, and Community: Pastor Orr and Brown Baptist Missionary Church
Tuesday, October 10 | 4:30 – 6:00 pm | Spain Auditorium, CBU Campus, 650 E Pkwy S, Memphis, TN 38104
Join us on Oct. 10, 2023, in Spain Auditorium (Buckman Hall) here on the CBU Campus for the”Faith, Service, and Community” Series hosted by the CBU Center for Community Engagement. The event will take place from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, and our guest speaker is CBU Alumni and Sr. Pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church, Dr. Bartholomew Orr!

First Annual “Dining with the Deacons” – CDOM
Friday, October 20 | 6:00 pm | The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1669 Central Ave., Memphis, TN 38104
If you’re looking for a fun and tasty way to support the work of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, we encourage you all to get your ticket for this year’s “Dining with the Deacons,” The ticket price for the event is $50 per person, and the goal is to sell 200 tickets. The Deacons are raising funds to help further their continuing education and training. Please RSVP in the Volunteer Portal.