Sophia de Vries, Home of the Sparrow’s volunteer coordinator, said her organization already worked with MCC students who volunteered as part of a womens’ health issues course, so she had an idea of what it would be like to work with the group.

“We’re going to find opportunities that fit the students,” she said. “Some may want to spread [the hours] out throughout the semester … but then I know some people just want to get it done.”

It’s not just the organizations that will benefit from the volunteers though.

“The goal is for [the students] to learn a skill, whether it’s bettering their résumé, or their transcript for college or learning job skills,” she said.

Natalie Gawronski, an incoming freshman who’s using the MCC Promise to pay for school, attended the fair Tuesday. She’s leaning toward donating her hours to Home of the Sparrow, and said she was not worried about the time commitment involved.

“It’s a really good deal because it could be so much more,” the Johnsburg High School graduate said.

De Vries said she handed out some applications during the fair, and now she was just excited to see how it all turned out.

“It’s a wonderful thing,” she said. “We’re fostering that sense of civic duty, and for us, volunteers are like the soul of our program.”

Incoming McHenry County College students Jessica Norris (center) and Megan Swenson (right) talk with Sophia de Vries, a volunteer coordinator for Home of the Sparrow during Tuesday’s volunteer fair at the college. The fair was geared to students in the MCC Promise program, who are required to volunteer for 16 hours a semester as part of the scholarship.-Travis Haughton