Following NIU’s focus on volunteerism this year, the “Into The Streets” campaign is taking off.

“Into The Streets” officially begins Feb. 15, though efforts for the project have already begun. The campaign is a yearlong effort to further volunteerism in the community. Though it began as a national campaign last year, it fell through across the nation.

“There was not enough time for students to prepare,” said Steve Sliga, Student Association community affairs adviser. “It was next to impossible to make it happen, so we held it over to this semester.”

The purpose of the campaign was for everyone to get involved in some sort of volunteer work. “There are 33 different campus organizations and 10 or 11 individuals,” he said.

Sliga also said the different activities for the campaign include Meals on Wheels, a clothing drive, a canned food drive, a fun fair at Lincoln Elementary School, help for the NIU Recycling Center and much more.

In addition, for the first time this year, the NIU Student Volunteer Corps, a state-mandated group for all state schools, is keeping track of the organizations’ work. The SVC will also have a banquet and hand out certificates to all who participate.

“It’s an excellent organized effort to serve the community and enhance volunteerism in the student body,” said Donald Buckner, chairman of the SVC Task Force.

Any group or organization that wants to get involved in volunteering can register at the Office of University Programming and Activities at any time during the semester, Sliga said.