Organization stops in Morgantown to show benefits of volunteering

After working to alleviate the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, two college students were motivated to create an organization that would inspire others to serve their communities.

Adam Kunes and Andrew Blythe, cofounders of The Call to Serve, made West Virginia University the last stop on their campus tour for a viewing of their documentary, "A Story of Adventeering," which shows students the benefits of serving their communities.

The Call to Serve is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching young adults the power of public service through local and national service trips, according to its website.

The organization shows students how volunteering can not only be rewarding, but fun, too, Blythe said.

"We're trying to raise awareness about volunteerism, but also to raise awareness about the program and the opportunity they have through The Call to Serve," Blythe said.

The organization does a variety of different service projects around the country, he said.

The documentary shows students how they can get involved through The Call to Serve. For instance, the organization's summer program takes students in an RV across the country, helping people along the way.

In the summer of 2011, the organization will be offering three trips for 40 to 60 participants, Kunes said.

"We deem it as ‘Road Rules with a good cause' because we have fun and we help people along the way," Blythe said.

The summer trip is a way for students to volunteer without forcing them into something they don't want to do, Kunes said.

"We offer a unique opportunity for people of our age," Kunes said. "Our trips are a great balance of fun and volunteering. For a lot of people, this is their first glimpse into volunteerism, so we don't throw them into an intense

volunteering program."

The documentary lasted about 30 minutes. Approximately 20 students attended, many of whom were members of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity, who helped organize the event.

Blythe said they had better attendance at other campuses around the country, and the poor weather was probably the cause of the small turnout.

The Call to Serve partnered with American Eagle to help fulfill American Eagle's philanthropy at certain colleges.

The organization has been booming since its founding in 2008, Blythe said.

"We definitely have caught fire," he said. "We've got a thing that young people are really looking for and want."

Blythe said the organization has changed his life and wants to inspire the same change in the lives of others.