Twenty-five religious organizations and churches are showcasing faith-related volunteer opportunities today in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., students can stop at FaithWorks and look at information about volunteer work and mission trips offered by religious groups from around the country.

“We are probably representing information on several hundred volunteer opportunities,” said John Donaghy, president of Religious Leaders’ Association.

This is the third year FaithWorks has come to Iowa State. Sponsored by the Religious Leaders’ Association, the event’s goal is to let students explore volunteering and mission trips from religious perspectives.

Opportunities for volunteer work or mission trips represented at FaithWorks are mostly long-term, but some organizations such as Habitat for Humanity offer more short-term projects.

Also, this year is the first year that religions other than Christianity are being represented at FaithWorks, something Donaghy said he is excited about. Among the non-Christian organizations that are bringing information about volunteer opportunities is Hillel, a Jewish organization.

“This year, we have a renewed commitment to have representatives from many different faith perspectives,” said Lori Adams, assistant director for Reformed Campus Ministries/Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The idea for FaithWorks originally was developed by Adams. She said her goal for the event is to encourage students to get educated in faith as well as traditional education.

“What we are trying to do is help students grow in their religion as well as their education,” Adams said.

Adams said FaithWorks can be helpful for students who would like an opportunity to volunteer from a religious perspective but are not involved in religious organizations.

“There have been individual students who have ended up going on a mission, and it has changed many parts of their lives,” she said.

Melissa Bockes, senior in biology, was one of those students whose lives were changed by FaithWorks last year.

“Because of attending that one day, I ended up going on a mission trip for the whole summer,” she said. Bockes spent 10 weeks in Australia during the summer with the organization Youth in Mission.

“We did everything from organizing and running vacation Bible school for kids to … mowing lawns and painting for people who needed help,” she said.

Bockes, along with several other students who have taken volunteer opportunities through FaithWorks, has a booth this year containing pictures of her trip and copies of support letters she wrote before going to Australia.

She plans to speak at FaithWorks over the noon hour, along with other representatives and students who have gone on various mission trips.