There are 65 one-time volunteer opportunities for Eastern students in February, and spots are still available for the Charleston Transitional Facility programming and the Farm to Table program Thursday morning.

Beth Gillespie, director of the Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteerism, said students can register online for one-session volunteer times that usually last about two hours each this month.

She said these one-time volunteering opportunities are great options for students who have busy schedules but would still like to spend a couple hours to service their community.

Students can register for whatever times they choose; there are options available in the morning, afternoon and evening. If students would like to continue volunteering after their first sessions, they can sign up for as many as they want.

Out of the opportunities on Thursday with seats still open, students who volunteer for the Charleston Transitional Facility program will spend their 90 minutes enriching the days of adults with disabilities by spending time with them. This program will be from 11:15 a.m. until 12:45 p.m.

The only other opportunity Thursday with open seats is the Farm to Table program, wherein volunteers help students learn about the processes involved in growing and harvesting farm-fresh food. This program will be from 11:20 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

Crystal Brown, assistant director of the office, said the office provides transportation for most of the volunteer programs. Students can click on the individual programs to see if their choice provides transportation.

The animal shelter and food pantry programs are by far the most popular of the one-time services, so the office is offering them more frequently, Brown said.

In fact, the duration of program slots changes in accordance to the students’ evolving interests, Brown said.

“This semester, although we don’t have any brand-new programs, we’re now offering the animal shelter three times a week, so we’ve increased it because we see that is an area our students very much enjoy, and it fills very quickly,” she said.

Gillespie said students who register to assist the local animal shelter spend time with the animals before they find their forever homes.

Brown said those who participate in the food pantry programs engage with the families, pass out boxes of food and provide further assistance if needed.

Students can access a full list of one-time service projects that the office is offering in February by going to Eastern’s website, searching for the Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteerism and using the drop-down menu on the “Volunteer Opportunities” tab to click on “Volunteer Now!”

More time slots will be added to the list as time goes on.

Logan Raschke can be reached at 581-2812 or at lrraschke@eiu.edu.