Project leaders in the Loyola University Community Action Program look forward to beginning their work this semester.

With about 10 different projects to choose from, LUCAP provides a different task for volunteers located at a multitude of service sites across the city.

Bethany Washington, international business junior, takes service-learning students to Café con Ingles every Sunday. These students work with adult, non-native English speakers to help them learn and perfect their English.

Washington believes students who volunteer not only develop bonds and friendships with the students there but also learn a lot about immigration, looking past language barriers and finding similarities.

“Some volunteers keep coming back and that shows how dedicated they are to making our students feel welcomed and shows how much they care. For some people it’s easy, for others it may be hard teaching sometimes,” Washington said. “Most of the people who are involved now are either faithful volunteers that keep coming back because they love what they can contribute or they are service learners.”

People for Animal Welfare and Service travels to Animal Rescue New Orleans every other Friday to visit dogs and cats awaiting a new home. Project leader Alora Myers, environmental studies senior, said that those who volunteer with PAWS often feel rewarded after going on their trips.

Myers said that volunteers show dedication and passion when attending trips to ARNO.

“I have had four volunteers over the course of my position as project leader join on our trips to ARNO who were severely allergic to cat and dog fur. They were each very willing to participate in every aspect of the volunteer work and returned quite a few times,” Myers said. “One volunteer would be sure to take her Benadryl before joining us on our trips, but she was still willing to take the risk.”

Myers said she is extremely grateful for the help and willingness the volunteers provided despite their physical discomfort.

“That labor of love showed me just how much these volunteers enjoyed interacting with and caring for these animals,” Myers said.

Myers also said that she hopes to get the campus involved in a donation event for ARNO and PAWS this semester.

Agustin Crespo, criminal justice senior and LUCAP chairperson, looks forward to the projects planned for the semester. Crespo is also participating in the organization’s 40th anniversary.

“I hope to get more students involved in work, include fraternities and sororities, set relationships with other organizations on campus for future events, and further instill the Jesuit values into Loyola University students through service,” Crespo said.