Building connections through community service

Every semester, 200 Loyola students step beyond the bounds of campus and into Chicago’s neighborhoods, committing to weekly volunteer service at local nonprofits. Through Loyola4Chicago (L4C), students tutor children, assist seniors, support refugees and immigrants, and work with individuals with disabilities–gaining a deeper understanding the social issues affecting the city around them.

Organized through Community Service and Action, students are placed in small cohorts at 10 nonprofit sites across Chicago, where they volunteer three hours each week for a full semester. Current site organizations include Centro Romero, Chicago HOPES for Kids, Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA), Misericordia, and Syrian Community Network. During their service hours, students tutor, lead group activities, play games, and build community with fellow volunteers and the community members they serve. 

Outside of their service hours, volunteers also commit to attending monthly reflection sessions with their volunteer teams. These conversations encourage dialogue about their volunteer work, helping students connect their experiences to larger societal issues. 

For former L4C leader Winta Girmai (BA ‘24), volunteering at FORA was a natural choice. “I have always enjoyed tutoring kids,” Girmai says.“I have a lot of experience working with immigrant/refugee children and have always wanted to give back to the community as a child of immigrants/refugees. Joining Loyola4Chicago sounded like a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and find a sense of community at Loyola.”

The program also strengthens connections between Loyola students and the surrounding Rogers Park/Edgewater neighborhoods and encourages students to become active members of their Chicago community. “Volunteering continuously allows me to become more comfortable within my community,” says L4C Leader Lilly Sabolay (BS ‘26). “I get so much fulfillment from meeting new people and seeing parts of my community that I may never have seen or been a part of if not for volunteering.”

Students interested in volunteering with L4C can sign up for the CSA newsletter and stay connected on Instagram @LUCServe. Applications for Fall 2025 L4C service opportunities will open in September 2025.