College Students Host 30 Days of Service To Serve Dallas, Park Cities Communities
When Alex Quian and Brady Boyd were first connected through their mentor, Greg Weatherford, during the Emerging Leaders Program at SMU, they could not have imagined the journey they were going to embark upon this summer.
Experienced with volunteering from youth, both Quian and Boyd wanted to devote time to their community and get other students involved in service. With these goals in mind, 30 Days of Service was born.
This summer, the two will complete 30 service projects, four of which will be in the Park Cities. One of these will be a Digital Volunteering Day on July 21 to encourage Park Cities residents to use their computers and mobile technologies to make a positive impact through websites and mobile apps like Free Rice and Charity Miles.
“Our philosophy is based around a broad range of service projects to inspire youth to give back,” said Quian, a senior at Cornell University.
30 Days of Service is a community-focused initiative developed by Quian and Boyd that will take place around the Dallas-Fort Worth area during July 2019, featuring a wide range of service activities and opportunities. With Quian being from Frisco and Boyd from Keller, serving this area is something both founders wanted to accomplish to further their “personal and professional development.”
Some of the projects that will take place during July include building care kits for the homeless and hosting an appreciation meal for veterans.
“We designed the service projects under the idea that you can do these things by yourself,” said Quian. “We don’t want a lack of resources to be a barrier to carrying out service.”
Though many of the events are going to be carried out by Quian and Boyd themselves, they are inviting the community to participate with some of their larger service projects, as well as contribute financially to help them realize their goals. Their donation page explains they are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization that will benefit from any donation that can help their initiative do as much good as possible.
Business owners are also welcome to sponsor 30 Days of Service; in fact, Quian and Boyd are already partnered with Topgolf, CW33, Alkami Technology, Blucora, JetSuite, Andy’s Frozen Custard, and the Boys & Girls Club of Collin County.
When asked how they built this initiative and the guidance that informed their plan, Quian pointed to their Advisory Board, which includes the CEO of Topgolf International and the Executive Director of UNT Dallas.
“We are just two college students who are by no means experts at doing service projects,” said Quian. “The Advisory Board offers advice and guidance on the projects and their execution, helping with some of the details.”
With such a well-developed plan, it’s no surprise that Quian and Boyd want to take this project past its deadline on July 30. The two want to use 30 Days of Service to set the foundation for a larger initiative where they inspire students around the country to get involved in their community. With talks of writing a book about their experience, hosting a podcast, and touring schools to provide ideas and assistance, the possibilities for how this project can expand are endless.
Boyd, a junior at North Lake College, shared that he wants their project to fill a gap he’s noticed. “In our generation…we haven’t had a leader to show us how to serve. Alex and I want to step into that role and show kids how to give back to their communities.”
Four of the 30 projects that Quian and Boyd plan to complete will take place in the Park Cities area:
- July 21: The two will host a Digital Volunteering Day to encourage Park Cities residents to use their computers and mobile technologies to make a positive impact using websites and mobile apps like Free Rice and Charity Miles.
- July 23: Quian and Boyd will create Outdoor Libraries and Book Donation Boxes to encourage literacy in Park Cities’ neighborhoods.
- July 24: To thank educators for their hard work and commitment to learning, Quian and Boyd are hosting a Teacher Appreciation Lunch at SMU for Dallas-Fort Worth teachers and school administrators, featuring a catered lunch and gift bags.
- July 30: The final Park Cities event will be a Youth Group Tour of SMU to inspire middle-school children to attend college to further their education. The visit will feature a campus tour and a keynote speech from an SMU staff member.
To follow along with 30 Days of Service as each project is completed, and to spread the word about this project, follow along online or on Instagram (@30daysofservice). To get involved with 30 Days of Service, email Alex Quian at alex@30daysofservice.com.
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