For many new University of Colorado students, getting involved with campus and community causes not only offers a chance to meet new people with shared interests, it provides memorable and valuable life experience.

“A lot of people think that there is only one face of volunteering: handing out food in a soup kitchen,” said Becca Kaplan, 22, a CU senior and the outreach and events coordinator for the Boulder campus’ Volunteer Clearing House.

Yet there’s a lot more to volunteering than many students might assume, Kaplan said.

“Any passion or interest you have, you can find a volunteer opportunity to match it,” Kaplan said. “If you like sports, you can coach Little League; if you like art, you can teach and empower kids through art; if you like to hike, you can build trails.”

To that end, the Volunteer Clearing House is hosting its fall volunteer fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dalton Trumbo Fountain outside CU’s University Memorial Center. The event, organizers said, will let students looking to broaden their horizons — or fulfil class requirements — find volunteer options in the community,

“The volunteer fair makes it really convenient for students to find the opportunities that are available for them to serve the community, and we do that by bringing the community to them,” said Anna Domenico, director of the Volunteer Clearing House.

Representatives from more than 70 campus and community agencies will be present at the fair to provide information to interested students about how they can get involved, Domenico said.

The organizations historically have welcomed CU volunteers.

“I’ve been to pretty well every volunteer fair since it started,” said Ann Garstang, volunteer coordinator for Boulder’s Flatirons Elementary School, one of the organizations that will be seeking CU volunteers at the fair.

“CU students are young, they’re enthusiastic — the fair is a very good source to help you find people who have some experience working with children and enjoy doing it,” Garstang added.

Another sometimes-overlooked attribute of volunteering is the long-term benefit, organizers said.

“Volunteering is critical for job experience,” Domenico said. “You can have a high GPA, but a lot of employers are also looking for someone who has been civically engaged. If you can show that you are an active and involved person, it tells future employers what kind of person you are.”

In addition to volunteer opportunities, Tuesday’s fair includes free pizza and the chance to win prizes.

“It’s a good opportunity for any student,” Kaplan said. “You can do it on your own, making a million phone calls and waiting for a response, or you can talk face-to-face with any group you’re interested in — all in one afternoon.”