Members of the Emory community will show their dedication to serving others by volunteering together in Atlanta and beyond for Emory Cares Day on Saturday, Nov. 13.

At its heart, Emory Cares Day is about putting Emory’s mission to serve humanity into practice: a chance to nourish relationships within the Emory family, increase Emory’s visibility, strengthen partnerships with civic and community organizations and improve communities worldwide.

The effort was founded in 2003 by Renelda Mack 83C, a former Emory Alumni Board president, and has become a popular annual tradition jointly organized by the Emory Alumni Association and Volunteer Emory. 

Students, alumni, faculty and staff, as well as their families and friends, can sign up for a variety of service projects being organized in metro Atlanta and around the world. The opportunities address a wide range of needs, which makes it easy to find a project of interest.

Here are just a few examples of Atlanta-area projects for 2021:

• Help with outdoor clean-up at Chastain Horse Park or the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve
• Play bingo with residents of Wesley Woods Senior Living
• Write notes of encouragement to Emory students, educators or Emory Healthcare heroes
• Donate blood at Red Cross blood drives across metro Atlanta

See the full list of in-person and virtual opportunities for Emory Cares Day 2021 (register by Sunday, Nov. 7 to participate). 

Emory student projects

Volunteer Emory, a program of the Center for Civic and Community Engagement in Campus Life that connects students with opportunities to engage with community partners, organizes student participation. Students on Emory’s Atlanta campus can sign up for Emory Cares on this page of The Hub’s event portal to receive further registration info in the coming days.

Transportation will be provided for students who register for a Volunteer Emory project. Meet at McDonough Plaza at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13, for the Emory Cares Day kickoff (the kickoff will be moved to the Emory Student Center multipurpose rooms 4-6 if it rains).

Oxford College students will continue their tradition of supporting the Newton County Department of Family and Children Services for Emory Cares Day. Participants will meet in the Oxford Student Center at 10 a.m. to fill care boxes with toiletries, school supplies and small gift items for children and teens in the Newton County Foster Care Program.Visit the Emory Cares project page and filter by "Cause served" and "Emory community" to register. Anyone can participate by helping pack boxes or by purchasing and donating items from Oxford College’s Emory Cares Amazon Wishlist. 

Alumni projects beyond Georgia 

In addition to multiple projects in the Atlanta area, Emory alumni have organized a variety of volunteer opportunities in other cities across the U.S. and internationally.  

Projects range from helping with playground beautification in San Francisco and packing weekend backpacks for food insecure children in Boca Raton, Florida, to delivering food and toiletry baskets to families in the Tetuan neighborhood of Madrid, Spain.

Register for a service project outside of Georgia by clicking the “region” filter on the Emory Cares website. 

Ongoing opportunities for support

Anyone who is unable to physically participate in Emory Cares Day can support Emory students through funds that fill specific needs. Contributions at any level and at any time are always appreciated.

• Student support through high need opportunities: Emory's recently-launched campaign, 2O36, is about investing in people for the benefit of people and reimagining our future. Students are Emory’s future, and supporting student flourishing is a key priority of the campaign. This means helping students learn to be thinkers and doers, strengthen values, develop skills, realize their potential and prepare for careers with opportunities to change hearts, minds and the world. Opportunities include mentorship, job shadowing, offering advice or career guidance, giving to scholarships and more. Learn more about student support.
• Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement: Emory’s Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement empowers students to examine the construction of racial identities and create active learning communities that enhance opportunities for cultural engagement. Gifts help support belonging and community building events for undergraduate and graduate students of color through peer mentoring, heritage month events and student-led programs for the Emory community. Learn more.
• The Food Security Fund: Some Emory students lack consistent, dependable access to food (especially during school breaks). Gifts to the Food Security Fund help fight food insecurity directly within the Emory student community by allowing students to purchase their own food while living on or off campus. Learn more.

There are many different ways to give back in-person or virtually at varying commitment levels. Adjust the filters on the registration page to find an opportunity supporting your interests, preferences and/or region.