With the holidays just around the corner, many people begin to think how they can give back to their communities or to those less fortunate. But for many Montclair State students, community service is a year-round endeavor.

Take, for instance, students involved in the MSU chapter of Water Watch who think nothing of spending a weekend afternoon removing old tires that are polluting the area along the Passaic River in Paterson. They know their actions speak louder than words, so they get busy doing their part to clean the environment. In fact, members of the Montclair State chapter of Water Watch have helped remove 10 tons of garbage from the river during the cleanups they do three times a semester and twice during the summer.

Water Watch, a Class III organization of the Student Government Association (SGA), is one of several organizations in which students participate in community service activities. There's also HEART (Helping Each other And Redefining Tomorrow), a philanthropic organization geared toward improving the lives of others. HEART members help the young, elderly and the environment, while bringing students together in order to serve communities such as Lodi, Jersey City, Montclair, Paterson and Newark. One HEART project has members collecting General Mills box tops to raise money that will benefit underprivileged elementary schools in Newark.

Senior Stephanie Cambria is a sister of Chi Upsilon Sigma, which recently participated in an effort to make Halloween goodie bags for children in the Pediatric Care Unit at St. Joseph's Hospital. "Just the thought of seeing a child's face light up when we give them candy is a picture-perfect moment," she said. "As a volunteer it makes me feel unbelievably special in helping another person feel good."

The Community Service Advisory Board (CSAB), which organizes events for students involved in community service, has placed boxes around campus to collect clothing for needy Essex County organizations. Carmen Piccolo, a senior biology major and co-chair of the CSAB, said when students join forces for a cause, they see the difference they can make. "It gives us a tremendous sense of pride," said Piccolo.

Along with the clothing drive, the CSAB collects canned goods, and will host the fourth annual Red Hawk 5K walk/run on Nov. 23. All proceeds from the event will be used to buy food to benefit the 17th annual Newman Center Food Drive. During the last two weeks of November through December, toys will be collected and given to underprivileged children for the holidays.

ASSIST (Active Students Serving in Society Together) is collecting used eye glasses and hearing aids for the needy. "I've never worked with a group that works so collectively together until becoming a member of ASSIST," said Melissa Velez, a junior English major and ASSIST vice president. "It's extremely exciting."

Hayden Greene, coordinator of Fraternities and Sororities, believes the rewards students gain from participating in community service is something they will carry with them throughout their lives. "Community service broadens their ideas of what it means to be a student," he said.

INSIGHT Online would like to learn about other student organizations involved in community service projects. Send your name, the name of the organization and a brief description about about the project to Jeffrey Barilli at barillz@aol.com. Don't forget to include your e-mail address and telephone number.