By Anna Edlund
As local families and college students face the fast-approaching event of college dormitory move-in day, many Florida colleges offer support through helpful volunteer programs.
While moving possessions into their dormitory at the start of a new semester, attendees of the University of South Florida (USF) are assisted by student volunteers in the annual Bull Haul program.
Move-in day is crowded with students and their families, as everyone attempts to transport necessities and decor simultaneously. Organization and assistance are provided through the program as fellow Bulls direct the crowds, answer questions and offer a hand.
“For students whose parents couldn’t come help them move in, they were glad to have the option for another student to help them,” said USF student Joseph Santarlas as he reflected on Bull Haul’s impact during past move-in days.
The cause not only benefits incoming residents but also the volunteers who sign up to help. To motivate the community to give their time, USF offers the opportunity for those who register to move into their dormitories early. They will also receive community service hours and merchandise, such as free shirts.
“I got an email from USF saying that I could move in three days early by helping so that no one is stressed. We benefit by moving in early because move-in day is hectic,” explained Lilly Erwin, a past Bull Haul member.
The program unites the entire college community by making sure that the days run smoother for families, while providing perks to the people who choose to help out. The Bull Haul is a great opportunity to get involved with for USF students.
Similar organizations offer assistance in other Florida schools for the upcoming summer and fall terms. The University of Florida (UF) invites members of the college to be ‘move-in volunteers’” throughout terms. The University of Central Florida (UCF) offers its own ‘Move-in Volunteer Program’ (known as MVPs), similar to USF’s Bull Haul.
Be sure to follow your college housing department’s website, as well as its Instagram and other social media, for up-to-date information and to discover ways that it plans to help make moving in a breeze.
For more information on USF’s Bull Haul, visit its website at www.usf.edu/housing/residential-experience/bull-haul.aspx.
For more information on UF’s Move-in Volunteer opportunities, visit https://housing.ufl.edu/volunteer/.
For more information on UCF’s Move-in Volunteer program, visit www.housing.ucf.edu/movein/free/.
