About Community Service Day

Community Service Day is an annual event that takes place during Welcome Week for incoming first year and transfer students. It is an opportunity for new Seawolves to participate in service activities both on and off campus for the day.

Students participated in 14 different service projects during Community Service Day 2024 in collaboration with 14 community organizations, campus departments, and student clubs. See highlights below!

Over 300 volunteers gathered together at the Community Service Day kickoff.

Students cleaned the West Meadow Beach with the Alternative Spring Break Outreach club, picking up trash and microplastics.

Students participated in several gardening and sustainability projects, including helping the new Community Garden Club.

Students packed 300 gift bags and decorated cards for the Little Saint Nick Foundation to be donated to pediatric patients at local hospitals and spread cheer.

Students packed over 500 snack kits for the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless to distribute to those in need.

Students supported Red Cross disaster relief efforts by cleaning 160 emergency cots used to aid people in crisis.

Students brightened residents' day at the Long Island State Veterans Home by beautifying sidewalks and joining the Recreation Department for engaging activities.

Community Service Day 2025

For Students: Registration to volunteer during our next Community Service Day will open in August 2025. Please complete the 2025 Community Service Day Interest Form to be notified when registration begins.

For Campus and Community Partners: If you are interested in collaborating or receiving Stony Brook student volunteer support during Community Service Day, please contact us at communityservice@stonybrook.edu for more information.

Community Service Day 2025 Projects

Interested in supporting social justice causes like hunger and food insecurity? Process supplies donated to the campus Seawolves Pantry. Assist with the collection, sorting, and inventory of donations to benefit Long Island and Stony Brook community members facing food insecurity.
Be of service to those who served! Join Stony Brook University’s Office of Military and Veteran Student Services at the Long Island State Veterans Home to decorate along Patriot's Road. Create designs that will honor and thank the Veterans living in the Veterans Home. There are hundreds of veterans, spouses, widows, and Gold Star parents who are cared for daily by the team at the LISVH. Brighten their day and beautify their residence.
Be of service to those who served! Join Stony Brook University’s Office of Military and Veteran Student Services at the Long Island State Veterans Home to support LISVH's Adult Day Program. Participate in a game day and engage with veterans enrolled in the Day Program.
Be of service to those who served! Join Stony Brook University’s Office of Military and Veteran Student Services at the Long Island State Veterans Home to support LISVH's Recreation Program. Participate in a game day and engage with veterans to support the recreation team's activities.
The Campus Beautification Committee works to turn all corners of Stony Brook into student-created, community-driven works of art. Help bring color and creativity to Stony Brook by restoring a mural near the LaValle Stadium. No art experience is required - just be prepared by wearing clothes you don't mind getting a little paint on!
Contribute this Community Service Day by beautifying our Southampton campus and supporting the FoodLab's horticulture efforts! The FoodLab's mission is to study challenging food-related issues, including how to feed a growing population facing climate change and diminishing natural resources. Transportation will be provided for this off-campus trip. Volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes and are strongly encouraged to wear a hat and sunscreen. Please note that this project involves active, hands-on outdoor work that can include manual labor such as digging, lifting, and planting.
Support the Stony Brook Heights Rooftop Micro-Farm's "farm to bedside" concept, which uses organic gardening methods to grow vegetables and herbs that supplement patient meals at Stony Brook Medicine. Volunteers are encouraged to wear closed-toe shoes, a hat, and sunscreen for outdoor activities.
Contribute this Community Service Day by beautifying campus! Stony Brook University hosts a robust Planting Program designed to manage its tree care and beautify the campus. Plant bushes, trees, and flowers cultivated in the greenhouse on West Campus and clean up areas in need of support. Volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes and are strongly encouraged to wear a hat and sunscreen. Please note that this project involves active, hands-on outdoor work that can include manual labor such as digging, lifting, and planting.
Meet the Community Garden at SBU, a student organization dedicated to sustainability, health, wellness, and science through hands-on learning. Throughout the growing season the club leads activities such as seeding, upkeeping seedlings in the Life Sciences Greenhouse, amending the soil using compost from FSA's Roth Composter, transplanting and maintaining plants, and harvesting food grown. Help the Community Garden team with several needs during Community Service Day, including weeding, thinning out plants, potting, harvesting plants, and organizing and cleaning tools.
The Warrior Ranch Foundation invites veterans of the military and first-responders to attend clinics and workshops to learn about how to work with horses in a number of capacities from experts. Participants receive benefits from working with these animals including lower stress levels. Support the maintenance of the Warrior Ranch through activities such as painting, landscaping, and more. Volunteers must wear closed-toe shoes. Transportation will be provided for this off-campus trip.
Join members of Alternative Spring Break Outreach to clean up the West Meadow Beach! Also learn about Long Island wildlife and how to support our community's coastal environments. A hat and sunscreen is recommended for outdoor activity. Transportation will be provided for this off-campus trip.
Join Habitat for Humanity of Long Island to build safe, affordable homes for Habitat families. This is a hands-on opportunity to build with a construction team on a worksite. Students will have the opportunity to watch a wall go up, use a hammer, put up sheetrock, install siding, and many other construction tasks. Thick-soled, closed-toe shoes like work boots are mandatory to participate. Transportation will be provided for this off-campus trip.