Giving back to the DC community has been the goal for many on-campus organizations, but one particular group has begun to redirect some of its resources back towards the school itself. The Black Girls House, a volunteer-based organization for the female-identifying students that promotes sisterhood, has recently been offering help behind the scenes of a more well-known Howard tradition, Soul Food Thursday.

Soul Food Thursday is when one can expect both dining halls to be packed with long lines as students wait for steaming plates of fried chicken, mac and cheese, and greens. However, there just simply aren’t enough hands to help everyone at once. This is where Black Girls House comes in. On March 21, the organization encouraged members to volunteer their time on Thursday to help with the weekly lunch rush. In return, they would receive volunteer credit that would count towards their membership as well as free lunch after their shift. To some, this turned out to be a satisfying learning experience.

Sophomore Brianna Wilson says, “I decided to volunteer because I really like to indulge in Howard’s culture of service.” During the two hours she spent working at Annex cafe, Wilson felt more understanding for the cafe workers that are so often overlooked on this campus. From the moment Wilson’s group arrived at the dining hall, they were patient with the students and instructed them on what stations to work on and what they should be doing. She explained that the bulk of the work assigned to the volunteers were cleaning up, cutting up desserts, and serving pies.

Wilson said, “I do think that once you take on the job of someone else and do it for two hours or however long, your perspective does change.” Many other volunteers shared this same sentiment as they endured first hand the work that goes into keeping the lunch rush organized and continuous. Black Girls House has partnered with Sodexo numerous times in the past through other food based volunteer events like sandwich drives. However, this experience stands out as it gives back directly to the campus and allows students to see for themselves the work they may not think about often. 

“Orgs like Black Girls House just want to support our community and impact the community we’re a part of, starting with our Howard campus,” says Wilson. She believes that the initiative was an effective way to get more involved with volunteering on campus. Many other organizations around the university have also implemented various ways to make a positive impact on Howard directly. The partnership between Howard and its student organizations can continue to grow and positively impact both students and workers if more students aim to get involved and the administration provides enough support for all.