Iowa State Pay It Forward

Iowa State Pay It Forward We are an optimistic group of students who engage in servant leadership to create positive life experiences.

With a mission to reveal leadership through service relationships, and action!

Knoxville, Tennessee 💙📍This morning,  educated us on the importance of removing invasive species from our land and we he...
03/18/2026

Knoxville, Tennessee 💙📍

This morning, educated us on the importance of removing invasive species from our land and we helped them clear their nature center of invasive honeysuckle bush! It definitely tested our volunteers’ strength in pulling the trees out, but we tackled it by working as a team 💪

After connecting with nature in the morning, we headed into the city to get some good views from the famous Sunsphere! The last place we visited in Knoxville was the Knoxville Museum of Art.

Nashville, here we come!

Yeah Buddy!

Louisville, KY 💚📍This morning, we did a cleanup of Louisville streets with  One of the most exciting finds was five tire...
03/18/2026

Louisville, KY 💚📍

This morning, we did a cleanup of Louisville streets with

One of the most exciting finds was five tires that our volunteers raced to a pickup spot!

For tourism, we visited the Slugger Museum, where many of us tried ourselves in the batting cage and got a factory tour later.

Louisville was fun and Knoxville is next!

Yeah Buddy!

Indianapolis, Indiana 💙📍Indy was such a fun city to serve and explore! We spent the morning packaging pasta and working ...
03/17/2026

Indianapolis, Indiana 💙📍

Indy was such a fun city to serve and explore! We spent the morning packaging pasta and working on food orders at

Our volunteers were amazed by the scale of the operation and impact of this organization on its community! We prepared an equivalent of 5539 meals - a very exciting experience for us!

Afterwards, we headed to the Speedway Motor Museum since we were in the racing capital of the world. And finished our tourism activities by visiting the Fashion Mall at Keystone.

Next up is Louisville, Kentucky!

Yeah Buddy!

South Bend, Indiana 💙📍The morning in South Bend was as impactful as ever, with 1617 meals packed to feed 269 children at...
03/16/2026

South Bend, Indiana 💙📍

The morning in South Bend was as impactful as ever, with 1617 meals packed to feed 269 children at .foodrescue

Amazing Race took place in the afternoon, allowing us to see all the most popular murals of South Bend 🖼️

And we’re off to Indianapolis!

Yeah Buddy!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 💙📍The first day of 2026 Pay It Forward Tour was a success! This morning, we served Victory Garden I...
03/14/2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 💙📍

The first day of 2026 Pay It Forward Tour was a success! This morning, we served Victory Garden Initiative, an organization striving to build communities that grow their own food. Our volunteers helped with so many things - from distributing information about upcoming events around the neighbourhood and picking up trash to chopping up expired produce and creating compost piles for future use! It was sure a very colorful service project 🍎🍉🍍

The afternoon was spent playing fun games and getting to know fellow volunteers!

We are grateful for this rewarding opportunity to help the Milwaukee community 🤍

And we’re off to South Bend, IN!

2026 Chilly Chili Run was a huge success thanks to all our amazing runners! 🤩🤍💙Thank you to everyone who gathered to hav...
03/08/2026

2026 Chilly Chili Run was a huge success thanks to all our amazing runners! 🤩🤍💙

Thank you to everyone who gathered to have fun, connect, and eat good food this chilly morning!

Last but certainly not least in our Bus Core Spotlight Week is Ava!Ava is a Junior with a double major in Environmental ...
03/06/2026

Last but certainly not least in our Bus Core Spotlight Week is Ava!

Ava is a Junior with a double major in Environmental Science and Nutritional Science. After she graduates, her dream job is being a registered dietician. She’s been involved with PIF for one year, and her favorite thing about it is all the amazing people she gets to hang out with. In addition to Pay It Forward, Ava is also very involved in WISE as a community coordinator and peer facilitator, in the honor society for agriculture, and is a yoga, barre, and pilates instructor through ISU Rec.

Her favorite memory from PIF was on last year’s trip during one of the late night activities, someone broke a glowstick and it sprayed all over the wall. It was supposed to be a serious activity, and there were lots of suppressed giggles that ensued!

When asked what she would say to students who were unsure about joining the 2026 Pay It Forward Tour, Ava kept it short and sweet with three words; “Just do it.” Ava, we couldn’t agree more!

Ava is a rockstar to have on our bus core; she is full of determination and will execute anything she puts her mind to. She boosts others up every chance she gets, and many who joined us on the 2025 PIF Tour probably remember her as being the biggest hype-woman photographer when hiking through Moab National Park. We can’t wait to see you lead this trip.

Yeah Buddy!

Next up for our Bus Core Spotlight Week is Brenna!Brenna is a junior in Human Development and Family Studies with a Cert...
03/05/2026

Next up for our Bus Core Spotlight Week is Brenna!

Brenna is a junior in Human Development and Family Studies with a Certificate in Leadership Studies. After college, her dream job is to be an elementary school counselor. She has been involved with PIF for one year. PIF is far from her only involvement on campus, as she is also the president of the HDFS Happiness Club, a small group leader for Kairos Campus Ministry, has served on the Student Union Board, and is involved with SHOP.

A true Servant Leader, when asked what her favorite part of being on PIF’S core team was, she responded, “I love knowing that I am preparing a PIF Tour that will make an impact on the participants and the communities we are serving in!” She describes PIF as being fulfilling, fun, and impactful. Her favorite memory was volunteering at Arches National Park on the 2025 Spring Break Tour.
To students unsure about joining the 2026 Pay It Forward Tour, Brenna says, “There’s no better way to spend your spring break than hanging out with amazing people in awesome places and helping out others! I know it can be scary getting on a bus with people you might not know, but soon they will be some of your best friends!”

Brenna is always a ball of positivity, and many people who have interacted with her know how amazing she is at talking to anyone and everyone she meets. She truly pours herself into everything she does and keeps herself and her teammates on track for success. We can’t wait to see you lead this trip.

Yeah Buddy!

03/03/2026

Get excited for the last, most exciting stop on our Pay It Forward Tour - the celebration city! Nashville is the city where we’ll spend two nights, so get ready to have some fun! 🤩 🎸

As the trip is coming up in only 10 days, take this as your last chance to sign up. Find the sign up link and more information on the price, route, and what’s included on the link in our bio ⬆️

This week, we will be doing spotlight features of our bus core! These girls are the hard workers who put together our sp...
03/02/2026

This week, we will be doing spotlight features of our bus core! These girls are the hard workers who put together our spring break trip and lead it.

First up is Tara!

Tara is a sophomore in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Food Science. While being involved with Pay It Forward, she also contributes her time to the Society of Women Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Tara’s dream job after college is working for General Mills and she would love to live somewhere with lots of nature.

She first joined PIF fall of her Freshman year and has been involved ever since! Her favorite part of being on the PIF core team is getting to plan the trip with her bus core, Ava and Breanna, with the support of PIF’s Vice President, Danny. She says, “Getting to talk to all three makes me really happy and our bus core meetings are the highlight of my week.”

When asked what she would say to a student unsure about joining the 2026 Pay It Forward Tour, she said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to meet other people and grow deeper connections on campus. I was super nervous going on the trip last year and doubted myself after I signed up. But once I got on the bus, I knew I had to make the most of the experience and I don’t regret it at all. The trip is full of fun surprises and between the places we volunteer at, the tourism we do afterwards, and the evening activities, there is no reason you shouldn’t go on it :)”

Anyone who has met Tara knows she is a down-to-earth person and someone always up for a challenge. Her calm demeanor and go-getter attitude make her a great leader and someone anyone can talk to. We can’t wait to see you lead your first trip!

Yeah Buddy!

The Annual Chilly Chili Run pre sign-up is open now! Secure your T-Shirt on the link in our bio! Run (or walk) a 5K, enj...
02/16/2026

The Annual Chilly Chili Run pre sign-up is open now! Secure your T-Shirt on the link in our bio! Run (or walk) a 5K, enjoy your chili meal, and get a Chilly Chili Run T-Shirt!

Join us on Saturday, March 7th at 10:30AM at the Campanile! Pre sign up on our website by February 18th to guarantee your T-Shirt sizeđź‘•

We can’t wait to run with you!

7 cities. 9 days. 40 new friends. One life-changing spring break.Limited spots remain for the Pay It Forward Tour — Marc...
01/26/2026

7 cities. 9 days. 40 new friends. One life-changing spring break.

Limited spots remain for the Pay It Forward Tour — March 13–21, 2026!

Looking to travel, give back, and meet some amazing people? This isn’t your average spring break. On the Pay It Forward Tour, you’ll hit the road for 9 unforgettable days of volunteering, sightseeing, and fun across 7 cities, ending with two incredible days in Nashville 🎸 🎶

đź’¸ Cost:
• $600
(Includes housing, transportation, food, a tour t-shirt, tourism activities, and more!)

Check out the link in our bio for more info and to sign up!

Make memories, make friends, and make a difference đź’™

Address

515 Morrill Road
Ames, IA
50011

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