FAQs

How do I sign-up to volunteer on the day of Maryville Reaches Out?

There are two ways to volunteer during Maryville Reaches Out. Faculty, staff, alumni, and students can volunteer as a general volunteer or as a team leader.

1. A general volunteer is an individual who signs up to attend a project with a team to a designated location. No prior experience is needed.
2. The team leader position is for those who would like to lead a team to the project. The team leader will be the point of contact for their team between the project contact and the MRO Coordinators. There is a mandatory training provided. See the Team Leader section below for more information.

Are first year students allowed to sign up?

Yes, we highly encourage first year students to sign up to volunteer! This event is open to ALL faculty, staff, alumni, and students.

I signed up for a project that will be held on campus, where should I go?

The MRO Coordinator Team will reach out to your Team Lead prior to event day to communicate the location of your project. Your Team Lead will communicate the location to you.

What if I accidentally registered for more than one project?

Please notify our team at mro@maryville.edu to inform us and we can remove any accidental registrations.

How do I know if I am registered?

Once you register on the website, you will receive a confirmation email confirming your registration. If you have not yet received a confirmation email after 24 hours, please reach out to our team at mro@maryville.edu.

What if I don’t have transportation?

There will be a variety of projects on and off campus. We also encourage our volunteers to carpool on the day of the event to their project. We will do our best to make sure each participant has transportation between campus and their project.

Will classes be cancelled on the day of MRO?

Day classes are suspended on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. Evening classes will continue as scheduled.

What are Team Leaders?

Team Leaders are faculty, staff, alumni, and student volunteers who apply to lead a team of volunteers to a designated project. The Team Lead will be the point
contact person between their project’s agency contact person, MRO planning team, and the volunteers on their team. Team Leads will be in charge of making sure their team members have completed the necessary paperwork and stay updated on any details regarding their project. Team Leads will need to attend a mandatory virtual training leading up to event day.

How do I sign-up to become a Team Leader?

Team Lead registration will open on August 1st and close August 23rd. Please visit www.maryville.edu/mro to apply to be a Team Lead. When applying for a Team Lead position, you will be registering for your project of choice. Make sure to review the projects prior to August 1st to preview the projects you would like to volunteer with.

What if my project has no volunteers?

We do our best to communicate as early as possible to let our Team Leads know of any vacancies. In the event you are the only volunteer for your project, you can continue to attend the project by yourself or you can email mro@maryville.edu to let us know you would like to join another group.

Are first year students allowed to sign up?

First year students are allowed to sign up to be a Team Lead, but we highly recommend you have prior experience leading a team.

What if I accidentally signed up twice?

Please notify our team at mro@maryville.edu to inform us and we can remove any accidental registrations.

How do I know if I am registered?

Once you register on the website, you will receive a confirmation email confirming your registration. If you have not yet received a confirmation email after 24 hours, please reach out to our team at mro@maryville.edu.

When will MRO Team Leader training be?

Team Leader training will be held within two weeks prior to the event date. A recording of the training will also be shared after to all Team Leads.

What if I don’t have transportation?

There will be a variety of projects on and off campus. We also encourage our volunteers to carpool on the day of the event to their project. We will do our best to make sure each participant has transportation between campus and their project.

How do I sign-up to host a project for my agency/organization?

Registration for agencies will open early June. Prior to registration opening, we will reach out to our past project contacts to confirm contact information. Our current contact list will receive an email with the agency registration link. If you are a new agency/organization, please reach out to us at mro@maryville.edu for more information.

What if my project has no volunteers?

We do our best to communicate as early as possible to let our agencies know of any vacancies.

What if I accidentally signed up twice?

Please notify our team at mro@maryville.edu to inform us and we can remove any accidental registrations.

How do I know if I am registered?

After submitting your application, you should receive a copy of your application submission in your inbox. If you did not receive a copy of your application submission, please reach out to our team at mro@maryville.edu. Within two weeks, you should also receive a confirmation email from mro@maryville.edu confirming we have received and approved your application.

How do I update my agency’s contact information?

If at any time you need to update your agency’s contact information, please reach out to our team at mro@maryville.edu. We will make sure to update the new contact information in all of the appropriate areas.

If I am a new agency or organization how can I get involved?

Please reach out to mro@maryville.edu to express your interest.

What do I wear to my project?

All volunteers will be provided an MRO t-shirt to wear on event day and if project necessary we will provide work gloves. For other specific apparel instructions, please refer to your project information at www.maryville.edu/mro. Keep in mind the weather and what type of activity you will be completing. As always, remember you are representing Maryville University so please no inappropriate clothing or graphics.
Examples: If you are helping with landscaping we would recommend long pants, closed toed shoes, sunscreen, and a hat. If you are walking dogs, we would recommend comfortable sneakers. If you are going to help with renovations or projects that include paint, we recommend wearing clothing you do not mind getting paint on or dirty.

What do I need to bring on the day of the event?

For other specific instructions, please refer to your project information at www.maryville.edu/mro. Your Team Leader will also be in contact to specify any important needed items leading up to the event day. We recommend everyone bring a water bottle and a snack.

What is the MRO Kickoff event?

The MRO Kickoff & Social event is held on Gander Quad (Gander Dining Hall as rain backup) on Monday, September 16th from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm. Volunteers will have the opportunity to pick up their t-shirt, pickup work gloves (if necessary), meetup with your team, and enjoy an ice cream social. Dr. Lombardi and the MRO Coordinating Team will be present to make some special announcements regarding event day.

What is the MRO After Party event?

The MRO After Party event will be in the Donius University Center Atrium beginning at 12:00 pm and ending at 4:00 pm. There will be free food (while supplies last), snacks, reflection activities as well as a drop box to drop off any supplies that were borrowed for the day.

Will food be provided on the day of the event?

Some projects will be providing snacks and/or lunch while others may not be providing any food or beverage. We recommend each volunteer review their project details at www.maryville.edu/mro to see what will be provided at the project and what they should bring with them. There will be free food (while supplies last) in the Donius University Center Atrium from 12:00 pm until 4:00 pm following your project.