Editor’s note: This story has been updated throughout.

SMU students gathered last Wednesday afternoon on the Dallas Hall lawn to eat free food and learn about how they can get involved in the Dallas community.

Nearly 500 students attended Program Council’s third Kickstart event of the year, special event coordinator, junior Elizabeth Ridgway said. The group partnered with the Community Engagement & Leadership Center and the Embrey Human Rights Program to offer information about volunteer opportunities at agencies and nonprofits across the city.

“This is a way for people that are interested in service to put their name on people’s email lists and get connected to the Dallas community,” sophomore Patricia Larsen, a programing chair for Program Council said.

Eleven area organizations offered information at the event: Austin Street Center; Brother Bill’s Helping Hand; Dallas Habitat For Humanity; Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship; Family Place; Heart House Dallas; Goodwill Inc.; Interfaith Housing Coalition; Literacy Instruction For Texas; New Horizons of North Texas; and Wilkinson Center.

“We want students to know a little bit more about what the Dallas community is, and what it means to engage in their community through direct service opportunities,” coordinator for the engagement center Brittany Barker said.

Program Council is hosting two more Kickstart events, on Wednesday, Sept. 13 and Wednesday, Sept. 20. Both events will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the Dallas Hall lawn.

“It was a fun way to meet people I haven’t met before,” freshman attendee Reece Olmstead said.