Why Our Students Love Giving Back to Their Community

From building beds for children in need and making sandwiches for hungry neighbors to spreading holiday cheer through handwritten cards, hundreds of Syracuse University students give back to their community every year through their involvement with their Recognized Student Organizations.

Now, it’s time to honor the passion of these student leaders through the Fall 2025 Student Organization Challenge, which awards valuable funds to the student groups with the most unique donors and the most social media interaction during October. Last year, the Syracuse University Volunteer Organization (SUVO) captured the Fall 2024 Challenge, while OrangeSeeds claimed the Spring 2025 Challenge.

Every child should have access to a bed when they go to sleep. That's the driving force behind the SUVO's annual bed-building project. Student leaders like Ryan Edwards '26 have helped build 132 beds over the past two years, partnering with the local Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter to get them to Central New York children who need them.

On Service Saturdays, Nolan Singh '28 and his OrangeSeeds peers partner with nonprofits like We Rise Above The Streets Recovery Outreach, the Salvation Army and the Nottingham. These efforts culminate in “The Big Event,” the University's largest student-run community service project.

With the Fall 2025 Challenge in full swing, Edwards and Singh stopped by the "'Cuse Conversations" podcast to share why they give back, how volunteering has shaped them as leaders and why every student should volunteer.