Volunteering is a core aspect of being a Notre Dame student. Being a part of the Notre Dame community instills in students the importance of serving others in their community.

Spending free time volunteering allows students to better connect with their communities and help those in need while experiencing the joy of serving others. Completing service hours should not be looked at as just a requirement, but as an opportunity to live out Christian faith and make a positive impact in the world.

Whether choosing to help at a local food bank, tutor other students, or being a part of a church volunteer program, there are countless ways for students to give back to people and their communities while also fulfilling their Christian service hour requirements.

If you were wondering where and how you can effectively get all of your Christian service hours done you’ve come to the right place.

One of the most popular options for fulfilling service hour requirements are participating the overnight retreats Notre Dame offers such as Immerion for juniors, and Kairos for seniors as well as. For freshmen and sophomores, there are 6 non overnight retreats.

On overnight retreats, students can participate in a wide variety of volunteer opportunities as well as opportunities to broaden perspectives, form new friendships, and help the local communities.

Junior Nikko Petronicolos ‘26 who participated in the October Immersion retreat says that “I really enjoyed immersion. It was really fun and I got to know my classmates more. I also got to go into communities in need and help people. I liked it because it allowed me to do Christian service with my friends. Because I didn’t have my cell phone, I was able to be present and enjoy the moment”.

A great recommendation for where to start looking for places to volunteer outside of retreats is checking out the announcement page on the Campus Ministry and Christian Service page on Canvas. Local events are posted multiple times a week, giving students easy access to volunteer opportunities.

Some of these service opportunities are as simple as donating essential items or gifts for the holidays in exchange for a couple service hours. Taking advantage of opportunities like these, while simple, can still make a beneficial impact.

Other options to explore are looking into volunteering events hosted by your  local churches or other places of worship.

Lastly, a great suggestion to make an impact in your Notre Dame community while also getting a chance to participate in many service hour opportunities is to become an ND Ambassador or Moreau Mentor.

Looking into becoming one or both of these options can serve as a beneficial way to be an active member of the community. Ambassador, Bailey Busenburg ‘26, says, “Being an ambassador has opened my eyes and has given me many new opportunities. I really enjoy helping out the school with events for incoming freshmen as well as events like Open House. Overall, it has made me grateful to be a part of such a great community and school.”

Even with all of these suggestions there are still some rules and requirements to look out for.

Generally, Notre Dame strongly discourages students from doing all of their service hours at one institution. It is encouraged to diversify service learning experiences throughout a student’s entire high school career.

Furthermore, it is required that all service hours should be completed with or on behalf of a reputable organization for verification purposes. Activities like dog walking, babysitting, privately tutoring family members or friends, etc… cannot be approved. Unless it is service on behalf of an organization, then it is not viable to be used to fill your Christian service hour requirements.

All that said, volunteering is not just a requirement at Notre Dame, it is a meaningful way for students to practice infusing the values of service, faith, and community into their everyday lives.

Through opportunities like retreats, local volunteer programs, and school ambassador roles, students have the chance to make a real impact while also learning to deepen their connections with others.

Just remember, service at Notre Dame is about more than meeting a specific hour requirement, it is about understanding that service and commitment to others is the best way to grow yourself. The more you give to others, the more you receive.