Service Site Leader FAQs

VSD Service Site Leaders help make VSD a meaningful experience for all participants, serving as participatory facilitators for other volunteers, directing their groups to and from their service locations, and leading the group in a post-service reflective discussion at the service site.

All sites will have at least one VSD Service Site Leader. If a service site has more than 10 participants, multiple Service Site Leaders may be assigned to that site.

VSD Service Site Leaders should arrive at Cacciatore Stadium no later than 8:30AM on Saturday, May 4 and should find the Service Site Leader table after they've checked-in.

The VSD Team provides an information folder for each site. While there may be more than one VSD Service Site Leader at a site, there will only be one folder. Each folder will include the following: information about the site, including contact information and directions, a VSD waiver and photo release form that all participants (students, faculty, and staff) will need to complete, a reflection guide, lunch tickets, and information about a VSD evaluation.

All Service Site Leaders should familiarize themselves within the information in the folder.

If there is no folder for your site when you arrive at the Service Site Leader table, that means another Service Site Leader has already picked up the folder. There is only one folder per site. If your folder has already been picked up, please find your group in the stands and connect with the other Service Site Leader(s).

All Service Site Leaders should review the materials in the site folder.

After finding their site's assigned section of the stands, Service Site Leaders should introduce themselves to the group. They should welcome new volunteers as they join the group and ensure that everyone in the group signs the VSD waiver and photo release form, which will be in the folder.

Using information in the folder, Service Site Leaders need to make sure that the number of volunteers in their group meets their site's required minimum number of volunteers and is not over the maximum number of volunteers. If these numbers do not match, Service Site Leaders will need to head back to the Service Site Leader table and communicate with the VSD Team.

VSD Service Site Leaders will also lead their groups to the assigned service site, following the directions in their folder. Some groups will travel via public transit and some will travel via chartered buses. Service Site Leaders will need to communicate to the group how they will be traveling and ensure that everyone in the group is together for the journey to and from the service site.

VSD Service Site Leaders will need to ensure that everyone who was with the group at DePaul made the journey to the service site. They should connect with the site's contact upon arrival, so the group can get an introduction to the site and begin the volunteer experience. Sometimes Service Leaders will have to troubleshoot and call the service site contact to let them know the group has arrived.

One of the Service Site Leaders will also need to call the VSD Team contact listed in the site folder to let the VSD Team know that the group has arrived safely at your site.

All Service Site Leaders should fully engage in the volunteer experience.

When volunteering has ended, Service Site Leaders will lead, or co-lead, the group reflection on the VSD experience and will also share information about the VSD evaluation with the group. They should ensure everyone in the group is together to head back to DePaul and that everyone in the group has a lunch ticket for the barbecue on the Quad.

Yes, we ask VSD Service Site Leaders to guide their groups in a reflection activity after service has been completed. The Service Day Team will provide reflection guides in the site folder, and Service Site Leaders can work together to lead this experience with the volunteers at their site.

One Service Site Leader from each site needs to check in with the VSD Team at the barbecue, returning the site folder and any supplies that the group may have been given to take to their service site.

We encourage all VSD participants to post photos of the day on social media using the hashtag #DePaulVSD and tagging @depaulvia. 

Before taking or posting any photos, please ensure that you are following any guidelines your service site has shared regarding photography.