Want to help with the relief efforts in Pakistan or any of the other 150 countries where UNICEF works? Join or start a UNICEF Campus Initiative Club on your college or university campus.

While our work at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is focused on helping children around the world, we also support organizations in our own back yard–helping make the city we call home a better place for children

While we value and appreciate all of our interns, yesterday was Laura Restrepo’s last day as a Fellow with the Volunteer and Community Partnerships Department.

Kristi Burnham leads the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Community & Volunteer Partnerships team.

The UNICEF Tap Project is already gearing up for 2011. The campaign, which in 2010 raised more than $900,000 for UNICEF water programs, will once again occur during World Water Week, from March 20 through 26, 2011. Volunteers will be an integral part of the UNICEF Tap Project, and we are seeking motivated volunteers to help serve as UNICEF Tap Project City Coordinators, and spearhead the campaign in five markets: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

© U.S. Fund for UNICEF

2010 UNICEF Tap Project City Coordinators.

City Coordinators will help recruit restaurants in their local communities, execute a regional training, host a UNICEF Tap Project launch party, and steward other local UNICEF Tap Project volunteers who are hosting events and recruiting restaurants.

It is a great way to become more engaged with UNICEF, learn about global water and sanitation issues, connect your local community to a lifesaving cause and take action in support of a meaningful volunteer assignment.

If you are interested in learning more about the City Coordinator role and how to apply, please click here. Or, to learn more about the UNICEF Tap Project, please visit tapproject.org.

The vision of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Campus Initiative is to build life-long advocates of child survival who will work toward zero by educating, advocating, and fundraising for UNICEF programs. Campus Initiative National Council members embody our mission and work beyond state limits and school rivalries.

I am pleased to announce that Kelli Beyer from Loyola University Chicago, Ariana Hoet from The Ohio State University, Daniel Mettman from Wichita State University, Shristi Pandey from Brown University, Shikhank Sharma from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Stephanie Sun from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the 2010-2011 Campus Initiative National Council.

The new council of student leaders will meet in New York City in August to create a year-long plan of action to develop the Campus Initiative’s resources and infrastructure, provide strategic direction for the program, and foster greater communication between the clubs.

On behalf of the whole team, I share our sincere thanks to the 2009-2010 council: Marta Ewa Baran from Mercyhurst College; Ariana Hoet from The Ohio State University; Andrea Morales from Loras College, Orlane Monga from Green Mountain College; and Miko Tsubai from the University of Houston, for their outstanding work during this academic year.  Well done!

To become a member of a Campus Initiative Club, or to start one on your campus, visit the Campus Initiative section of our Online Volunteer Center.

Team UNICEF is pleased to announce that Cheer Registration for the 2010 ING New York City Marathon on November 7 now open!