Students Moving on Campus Sept. 20 Will Get a Helping Hand

Scenes from Helping Hands 2002.

Residence Halls open at noon, Sept. 20 at the University of Cincinnati, and that's when hundreds of students will be toting their luggage, computers and other necessities into the residence halls. As they start pulling in, more than 225 pairs of Helping Hands -- belonging to UC administrators, faculty and staff -- will be reaching out to assist.

This is the second year for the Helping Hands program under the university's Quality Service Initiative. It started out with about 100 volunteers lending a Helping Hand last year. Word of mouth from the volunteers has more than doubled the number of Helping Hands this year.

Students will be able to spot the Helping Hands by their red T-shirts, with Helping Hands on the left pocket corner. The back of the shirt features the address for the UC is Listening Web site. Helping Hands co-chair Sallie Heart says like last year, help tables will also be set up in front of all of the residence halls, where students can find a Helping Hand with maps, cups of water and Welcome Week information.

"We had a very positive response from the Helping Hands program last year, not just from students and their parents, but also from the volunteers," says Heart.

Tom Guerin, interim associate vice president for Human Resources, will be helping out around Calhoun Hall, the same dorm he worked at last year. "I would meet students and parents at their car with a cart, and help move their things up to their room, then move on to the next customer. It was a ball. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done at the university," said Guerin.

Heart adds that this year, there will be a Helping Hands coordinator stationed at each residence hall to help direct fellow staff. The Jefferson Residence Hall Complex will have a coordinator stationed at Turner and Schneider Hall. Approximately five to 10 Helping Hands will be working the one-hour shifts that last until 6 p.m. Friday evening.