UW-Madison Students Log 320,000+ Hours Helping Neighbors

When Evan Blonien enrolled at UW-Madison, everyone gave him the same advice: join Badger Volunteers first, then worry about classes. Now the data science major spends Wednesday afternoons fixing bikes that will go to kids who couldn't otherwise afford them.

Blonien is one of 360 students this semester volunteering through the 18-year-old program that connects college students with Madison nonprofits. They stock food pantries, tutor middle schoolers, prepare community gardens, and build homes with Habitat for Humanity.

The program stands out because of commitment. Students aren't just showing up once for a photo op. They spend one to four hours weekly at the same nonprofit all semester long, building real skills and relationships.

At Bikes for Kids Wisconsin, where Blonien volunteers, freshmen arrive knowing nothing about bicycle repair. Within weeks, they're fixing brakes, changing tires, and completing full tune-ups independently. The nonprofit refurbishes donated bikes and redistributes them to children and adults across Wisconsin.

"You know that the bike you're working on is going to a kid who needs it," Blonien says.

At Central Wisconsin Center, which supports people with intellectual disabilities, one student has volunteered for three years straight. He's built such a strong friendship with a resident that volunteer coordinator Jeanne Pagel calls it "immeasurable."

"The residents who live here are medically fragile and not able to get into the community as much as we would like," Pagel explains. "Having the community come to them through the students is such a gift."

The Ripple Effect

Badger Volunteers program manager Lara Miller sees students learning to be active community members wherever life takes them. The program started with fewer than a dozen volunteers and four partners. Now it works with more than 50 organizations and has facilitated over 320,000 service hours.

Junior Caitlin Proffitt, who's volunteered for six semesters, first learned about the program while researching colleges in high school. Psychology and social work major Fiona Flynn says the training has been amazing, teaching skills she'll use long after graduation.

Every semester, both undergraduate and graduate students browse opportunities that fit their schedules and interests. But the nonprofits lead the way. "We're not telling them what they need," Miller says. "They're telling us."

These students are proving that making a difference doesn't require waiting until after graduation.