The Community Service Center will hold it’s annual Volunteer Expo this week, for the purpose of providing students with the opportunity to connect with local nonprofit agencies.

The Volunteer Expo will take place Thursday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second floor of the Ferguson Center.

The Community Service Center partners with several nonprofit organizations throughout Tuscaloosa, many of which will be in attendance at the Expo. Over 30 different organizations will participate at the event, including the Children’s Hands-On Museum, Habitat for Humanity, Project Blessing, the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter and the West Alabama Food Bank.

The large number of nonprofits attending this event will give students a chance to explore many different options.

“We really want to give students a chance to talk and interact with a variety of nonprofits,” said Wahnee Sherman, Director of the Community Service Center. “It’s one thing to read about it on a piece of paper and another to actually talk to the people who are out there doing it.”

The purpose of the event is to connect students with nonprofit organizations in a low-key setting.

Barbara Grimes, office assistant at the Community Service Center, said the event is going to be very casual.

“We don’t want anything to be intimidating for the students and the nonprofits,” Grimes said.

The Community Service Center organizes events with several of its nonprofit partners throughout the year. This includes Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, an event that challenges Alabama fans and the West Alabama Food Bank to win a nonperishable food drive against Auburn fans and the East Alabama Food Bank.

Hands On Tuscaloosa is another large project the Community Service Center helps to organize. According to the Community Service Center website, the event helps to familiarize students with the needs of the city, especially in conjunction with the Tornado Relief efforts. Some partners for this event include Tornado Relief, Habitat for Humanity, Project Blessings and the City of Tuscaloosa.

The last phase of Hands On Tuscaloosa will be this Saturday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon. Students may sign up online at volunteer.ua.edu/hands.