Tash Mahnokaren

Staff Writer

On Saturday, Oct. 18, the Idaho State University Student Activities Board (SAB) event Service Saturday will celebrate its third year in giving back to the community through service.

Service Saturday is an event tailored to helping businesses and other organizations in Pocatello through service. The event creates an environment centered on reciprocity between the community and ISU.

Open to ISU students and community members, Service Saturday in the past has extended its service to the Veterans Home, the Idaho Food Bank, the zoo and to multiple other organizations or causes.

“It is a really good way to give back to the community because the Pocatello community helps us a lot and they support ISU hugely,” said Valentin Garcia, SAB Education Chair and overseer of the event.

Getting involved with the community creates an avenue of opportunities for students.

Creating connections within the community can be beneficial later for job prospects and individuals looking to expand their involvement in certain organizations. Through working with different organizations, attendees also gain a wide variety of skills that contribute to the wholesome development of an individual.

On Saturday morning, Service Saturday organizers and participants usually gather at the Bengal Café for breakfast at 8:30 a.m.

After, the participants are split into groups according to how many members are needed for the particular assignments.

Garcia mentioned that the event usually goes on from 9 to 11 a.m.

To participate, individuals are simply asked to show up on the day of the event.

Turnout has been promising for the event in the past.

“We have an average attendance of 50 students,” said Garcia. “We have students who return every Saturday that we have it.”

This year service Saturday will be working on a landscaping project at the Pocatello Zoo and with the animal shelter, among other things.

Service Saturday is an event eligible for incentive funding, which is a system through which clubs may earn money based on attendance at ISU and club events. In this category of funding, at least six people must attend the event for it to be eligible. Through each eligible event hosted, incentive points are earned which will translate into financial incentives. 

Members of the community are the leading source of ideas for which project SAB will put on the schedule next. Garcia said that he simply calls local businesses and asks them if they need assistance with projects, to which most are agreeable.

Although this semester is slightly different in that Service Saturday will only be held in the months of October and November, Garcia mentioned that the event is normally held every month.

“I would like to see the attendance grow within this academic year but it really depends on how students respond to service,” he added.

For the upcoming month, Garcia hopes to work with the Idaho Veterans Home and 4-H, a youth developmental organization dedicated to helping young people nurture and learn life skills.