Participating in his first Pre-Orientation Service Trip (POST) three years ago when he was a freshman was "the greatest decision I ever made at Cornell," said Josh Teitler '09, now working with POST for the fourth time.

Teitler is one of 14 team leaders and about 50 students who came to campus a week early so they could participate in POST, Aug. 17-21. Now in its 13th year, POST gives incoming freshmen and transfer students the opportunity to spend the week volunteering at nonprofit organizations and schools, meeting new people and gaining valuable advice from upperclassmen.

"As a senior now, I don't think I could've made it through Cornell without the advice from the team leaders," said Teitler. "We love to give advice, and we love to help everyone out. It just doesn't happen anywhere else your freshman year."

The students spend their days working at such sites as the Brooktondale Food Pantry, Meadowgate Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation in Newfield, Ithaca Youth Bureau/Big Brothers-Big Sisters, the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services for low-income families. They spend their evenings getting to know the local community and each other and camping out in the Appel Multipurpose Room.

For the second year, POST has developed projects that address issues specific to the Tompkins County community, including animal rights and rescue, accessibility, hunger and poverty, health care and aging, affordable housing and early literacy. Students can choose a site and issue that interests them, and in addition to performing community service, they have an opportunity to talk with agency staff about some of the root causes related to the issue and project, and how they can stay involved while at Cornell.

"We hope that this early introduction will create some long-term and mutually beneficial relationships for both the participants and host organizations," said Renee Farkas, associate director of Cornell's Public Service Center, which sponsors POST. Each year, she said, POST provides more than 1,500 hours of community service in the county before the Cornell academic year officially begins, "while simultaneously building lifelong friendships."

Kristen Lysenko '12 said that while it isn't very comfortable sleeping in Appel, she hopes to find an organization that she can volunteer for throughout her upcoming four years at Cornell.

"I expect to find a place that I like and want to stay with," said Lysenko, while preparing and serving food for more than 100 people at Loaves and Fishes, a food-service and advocacy center in downtown Ithaca.

"We have a bunch of energetic kids here who are doing amazing things, and the team leaders are so helpful in getting things set up," said Maggie Underwood, volunteer coordinator at Loaves and Fishes and the liaison for Cornell. "I hope this continues. This is wonderful!"

"It's learning to give from your heart," said Chris Pothier, executive director at Loaves and Fishes, noting that programs like POST not only give students an opportunity to give back but to learn about things they might not learn in a classroom. "It's learning that life isn't just about a job and being busy just to make money, but life is also about helping people and giving in return."

The POST program is co-sponsored by Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit Inc., which provides assistance with bus passes to transport the students to work sites each day, Quizno's Subs and ShortStop Deli.

Brandon Chiazza '09 is a writer intern for the Cornell Chronicle.