Sometimes being a freshman in college —no car, new city — can leave a student feeling isolated.

But through a program at Oglethorpe University, students are given the opportunity to explore Atlanta on a monthly basis.

Sandi Karchmer Solow/Special (ENLARGE)

Student Cinsley Gentillion (left) helps at the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Sandi Karchmer Solow/Special (ENLARGE)

Heather Staniszewski, assistant director of Oglethorpe University's Center for Civic Engagement, helps at the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

RELATED LINK: • Oglethorpe is on federal honor roll for service • More Metro news

"Life in the bubble is great and all," said freshman Sylvia Johnson, 18, "but it's great to get out and meet new people."

The Center for Civic Engagement manages the university's efforts to incorporate volunteer work into a student's college experience by organizing excursions to Atlanta-area non-profits. Freshman are now required to earn four credits of civic work.

"One of our goals is to teach students ways to give back and to appreciate what they have," said the center's assistant director, Heather Staniszewski.

One such outing took place recently when eight students visited the Atlanta Community Food Bank. After watching an introductory video, the students got to work in a large warehouse full of food.

"I was expecting service in a kitchen, more of a food pantry," said Johnson. "I think this is more fun."

The students' duties included checking the expiration dates on food, packing it into boxes and stacking the boxes on pallets to be distributed to more than 800 nonprofit agencies in Atlanta and North Georgia, as well as other food banks in the Southeast.

Johnson, a freshman from Jasper, took to the front line of the process by filtering out food that was past its expiration date, as well as unsuitable items such as condiments or damaged goods.

She wasn't above shaking a box of Cheerios as part of her quality control check.

"If they've gotten wet inside they'll sound different," Johnson said. "They'll taste disgusting."

Though they get credit, students had other reasons for volunteering. "It's a nationwide problem," freshman Marcus Edwards, 18, said about hunger. "Because I'm fortunate enough to have food, I should help people in society who don't have it."

Fellow student Cinsley Gentillion, from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, said the experience of witnessing the homeless growing up drew her to volunteer .

"I think it's great to come here and help those who are less fortunate," she said.

Like Edwards, Gentillion is a repeat visitor to the Food Bank. Besides the friendly demeanor of the food bank staff, the camaraderie among her schoolmates factored into Gentillion's decision .

"When you get out in the community you get to meet new people and have some fun," she said. "That's a great experience for me. I didn't volunteer much in my life before. Now that I get the chance, I enjoy it."