Photo - of - by Jennifer L. Williams | February 25, 2021 Adapting to pandemic conditions, William & Mary’s Office of Community Engagement has transformed its ongoing programs to continue reaching out. The department’s new GivePulse platform is offering students and community members ways to connect with service opportunities, and the Presidential Call to Service Council is spending this academic year exploring what service expansion could look like in the future, according to Director of the Office of Community Engagement Melody Porter. Buddy Boxes One of several new initiatives is happening with Lafayette Kids, which pairs W&M students (“Bigs”) with local young people (“Littles”) for youth development, forming a partnership with the Williamsburg Housing and Redevelopment Authority to offer Buddy Boxes. It’s a subscription-type program customized for each youth participant to support learning and connection, with their assigned W&M student putting together activity boxes and writing pen pal-type letters to them.