Homecoming week is exciting and fun for many students, but it has also turned out to be a pretty busy week for some people, which is no exception for sophomore Jen Ryer.

Ryer is involved in a week-long community service activity.

She said, “Last year I wanted to get involved in homecoming, but the residence halls are not as involved in Homecoming week as the greek system.”

So last year Saddler House in Helser, where Ryer lives, got involved in a community service activity sponsored by Iowa State for Homecoming. As it turns out the hall received second place over all participating in helping the community.

Ryer said, “Getting involved is easy. You just simply sign a sheet that goes around the hall.”

However, Ryer asks that everyone who signs up give a least five hours of service. “I have been volunteering since I was a freshman, and I always try to volunteer as much time as my schedule permits.”

Ryer said finding a good community service project is easy. “Our president from the floor goes over to the Memorial Union and picks up several fun activities. Then the people who sign the list volunteer on the activities which interest them the most or the ones which we think would be the most fun.”

The volunteers do a number of things throughout the community. Over the past weekend the group went to a local nursing home and helped with an Olympic Games for the elderly.

Ryer said, “The older folks seem to really enjoy seeing all of the younger people’s energy. I just hope that when I become old and gray someone does the same kind of service for me.”

The Boys and Girls Club of Ames is also feeling many of the benefits of the Homecoming community service program.

Ron Chieves, youth development specialist of the Ames chapter of the Boys and Girls Club, said “Many fraternities and sororities take part in community service with the club. Not only during ISU Homecoming week but throughout the year. This summer we had around 60 volunteers a day.”

The fraternities and sororities take part in a variety of programs at the club. One of which is the Junior Leadership Program.

Chieves said, “In this program they help the kids form leadership skills. It also teaches kids here at the Boys and Girls Club that we are never degrading and we care about what is going on with them.”

Chieves said the fraternities and sororities volunteer in other ways with the club. This past weekend several students chaperoned a post game dance for Ames High School.