Make a Difference Day is the largest day dedicated to community service in Northwest Arkansas. In 2023, 400 volunteers generated over $35,000 in economic impact and served over 1,000 hours in just one day. Volunteers were able to choose from a wide variety of service projects, such as cleaning up the university campus, serving with a food pantry and gardening. Make a Difference Day 2024 occurred Saturday, September 21, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the University of Arkansas Student Union with a kickoff and distribution of free breakfast and t-shirts. After that, students joined their respective volunteer groups to begin serving the community. Nova Kohl, a freshman accounting major from Fayetteville, serves as a Student Engagement Ambassador for the Volunteer Action Center, where she assists the executive board. At Make A Difference Day this year, she volunteered at Potter’s House, which is a thrift store in Fayetteville. The Potter’s House donation sort was the biggest event at Make a Difference Day 2024. “There were three shifts, and I was working the first two,” Kohl said. “Each one had a little less than 50 people.”
Kohl and other students sorted through the store’s warehouse and separated the non-clothing items. Despite the large task ahead of the volunteers, she said that it was an enjoyable experience, and she even got to meet new people.
“It was definitely a lively, friendly atmosphere,” Kohl said. “I was talking to people whose names I did not even know.” She plans to participate in Make a Difference Day in the future. “There were a lot of really good opportunities for Make a Difference Day,” Kohl said. “It is just a really cool way to have fun and give back.”
Although she volunteered with Potter’s House, Kohl was intrigued by other available projects, such as making self-care kits and trail clean ups. Since she was an avid volunteer in high school, she said that she knew would want to continue into college. Kohl said that volunteering allows her to better connect with the community.
“I made new connections with other students,” Kohl said. “It’s a really good environment for everybody to come together no matter their background to unite for a common goal.” “It makes you feel good about yourself, but it also makes an impact in the community,” she said. Kohl said that about 700 volunteers came together for Make a Difference Day 2024. She encourages more people to participate in Make a Difference Day in the future because “the more the better.”