Through exploration of civic needs and compassionate response, our students are exposed to real world conditions.

Our goal is to transform students into community leaders, dedicated to social action. There are community service initiatives planned throughout the year which are open to students, faculty, administrators, and staff. The projects we choose are based on the interests of our community, and there is always room for ideas!

Community Engagement & Leadership Development Opportunities:

  • Meals on Wheels
  • Experience El Salvador Mission Trip
  • Alternative Spring Break
  • Relay for Life
  • Leadership Guest Speaker Series
  • Charger Leadership Institute

If you do not find what you are looking for, contact Community Engagement & Leadership Development: 845-848-4122

Below are some available service & leadership opportunities.

Alternative Spring Break

For over 12 years, groups of Dominican University students have chosen to substitute the traditional Spring Break experience with the opportunity to participate in a Disaster Relief Experience or an Urban Poverty Experience. Our students forgo relaxing for their spring break, and opt to travel with a group of like-minded students to build with Habitat for Humanity and participate in living simply, disconnecting from technology, and implementing self-reflection.

Application Form will be released in Fall 2022.

Charger Leadership Institute

The Charger Leadership Institute is designed to help emerging leaders learn important lessons in effective leadership. The program is for any student striving to improve their leadership skills for future roles on or off campus. No previous leadership training is required. The program is a total of six sessions over the course of one academic year.

The sessions are on Friday afternoons from 2 – 4 p.m. Applicants should make arrangements in advance to attend all of the scheduled meetings. Accountability and commitment are significant components of leadership. Successful completion of the Charger Leadership Institute is determined by satisfactory attendance, progress, and active participation.

The Deadline to Apply for the 2022-2023 program is Wednesday, September 28th, 2022.

The Catherine Howard Campus Food Pantry

Dominican University’s Food Pantry is open and available to all current students. We are located in the main hallway of the Sullivan Library. If you need help finding us, the front desk library representative will direct you. There are breakfast foods, quick foods, and meals to make at home such as pasta, mashed potatoes, and tuna. Once arriving – you can fill out a form and provide any suggestions. Students are welcome to return as often as need.

Location: Sullivan Library
Email: food.pantry@duny.edu | Phone: 845-848-5020 or 845-848-4122 | IG: @dcfoodpantryPlease email food.pantry@duny.edu to schedule an appointment

The Catherine Howard Campus Food Pantry is an approved member of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Meals on Wheels

At Dominican University, we are committed to caring for our community. Meals on Wheels delivers more than just food to our local senior neighbors. Our delivery volunteers help this population to live healthier, more nourished lives in the comfort of their own homes.

Weekend of Service

This new service-learning, immersion experience with the Romero Center in Camden, NJ is a weekend of volunteering in the community, living and eating simply, engaging in reflection, learning, and disconnecting from technology. Examples of possible volunteer sites are Habitat for Humanity, Urban Promise, Food Banks, Soup Kitchens, the NJ Tree Foundation, Neighborhood Services, and more.

The Weekend of Service Trip will take place November 4  – 6, 2022

Experience El Salvador Mission Trip

Experience El Salvador is a collaborative program between Dominican University and Molloy College. Our students work at a children’s camp in Sol Naciente, which is a community in La Union, El Salvador. The camp is for children ages 4-12 and takes place in the beginning of January, prior to the beginning of Spring Semester.

Relay for Life

Relay for Life is a meaningful event for the Dominican University Community. We are committed to creating a campus culture that supports this important cause.

Our 2021 event was on Friday, April 30th, 2021. This year, we raised over $6,500 for the American Cancer Society to support research and provide patient services. Click HERE to continue our fundraising efforts! Every dollar makes a difference.

Click HERE for more information about Relay for Life.

Community Engagement Payment Form

If you’re participating in a CELD program which requires payment, please fill out the form below to submit your payment.

Volunteer Student Spotlight

Ifeanyi Maduegbuna is a senior majoring in Nursing. Ifeanyi generously volunteered her time this summer to deliver Meals on Wheels. She expressed that delivering Meals on Wheels was a valuable experience that she would absolutely recommend to other students. “Volunteering made me feel like I was adding value to the community, and made me realize how needed this service is” – she stated.

Freshman Louis Rodriguez volunteered for all 3 sessions of our service activity where we packaged 10,000 meals for those in need. “I know how big of a problem hunger is in today’s society, “ he said. “Even though it seems like a minor issue in such a big place like the US, there is hunger everywhere and it is devastating.” Louis also mentioned that “Volunteering is actually really refreshing because it gives you a new perspective on the things we take for granted from time to time.”

Melody-Rae Velez was one of our volunteers who made blankets for sick children with Project Linus for our United Way Day of Caring. Melody-Rae went above and beyond by making not only one, but four, blankets for children. Being someone familiar with spending time in the hospital as a child, this volunteer experience meant a lot to her. She stated that imagining “the smile on the kids’ faces when they would retrieve them” made her try to make as many blankets as possible.