East Carolina University. Tomorrow starts here.
A P i rat e ’s Guide to
Service A publication of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center
Make A Difference Day 2009 Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. The event, created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, will take place on October 24th this year. Make A Difference Day is a day of neighbors helping neighbors. There are projects all over the country with that mission in mind. ECU and the VSLC will be participating in Make A Difference Day by organizing a day of service on the 24th for those who register by October 22nd on the VSLC Web site. The day will begin at 8:30 a.m. at 1026 Bate Building with volunteer check in and an opening ceremony. The students will then have time to travel to their service sites and will begin working on projects by 9:30 a.m. The projects are set to last until 12:30 p.m. and will include a reflection activity lead by a volunteer student leader. Projects for this Make A Difference Day include: landscaping for the Red Cross, painting beds at RHA Howell Tar River, preparing packages for Give To The Troops, and walking dogs at the Pitt County Humane Society. Make A Difference Day is a fantastic opportunity for ECU students to volunteer in the Greenville community while contributing to a national effort and celebration of service. Last year, the national initiative had over three million participants. Registration for the event is currently open and can be accessed through the VSLC homepage at www.ecu.edu/vslc. More information on projects and requirements is also available on the site.
Page Two Student Spotlight Fall Service Fair
Fall T.R.I.P.S. Update Each fall the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC) gives students an alternative to going home over fall break. Turning Responsibility Into Powerful Service (T.R.I.P.S.), is an opportunity for students to do service while on fall and spring breaks from classes This fall break, October 10-13th, the T.R.I.P.S. format was slightly different than past years. Instead of taking an overnight trip and doing service at one site, the participating students stayed in the area working with three local sites. A group of seven students, accompanied by a VSLC staff member, worked alongside Habitat for Humanity staff to clean out their warehouse. They removed debris and moldy items that could be of no more use to the organization from the site. The students worked hard and at the same time enjoyed themselves. Reconvening Monday, the students visited the Ronald McDonald House of Greenville and put together luminary kits. The luminary kits make up the biggest fundraiser of the year for the House. People purchase kits and set them outside their homes as festive decorations. On the final day, students volunteered at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern Carolina. They sorted through donations from local grocery stores to be picked up by community members. Throughout the break, the students had a great time and made new friends. If you are interested in participating in T.R.I.P.S. this spring, contact the VSLC for more information.
Page Three My Sister’s Closet Student Service Collaborative
Page Four Calendar of VSLC Upcoming Events 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
VSLC Student Spotlight
A Pirate’s Guide to Service Page 2
Student Spotlight: Katherine Burley
East Carolina University
Each fall, North Carolina Campus Compact presents the Community Impact Student Award to students from member campuses that have made significant, innovative contributions to campus-based efforts to address community needs. The 2009 award winner from East Carolina University is Katherine Burley. Katherine was nominated for the award by the staff of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center; she has contributed more than 500 hours of service domestically and abroad, and embodies ECU’s mission, To Serve.
Katherine is a senior double majoring in child life and recreational therapy. Throughout the last three years, she volunteered with organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, and Camp Whole Heart. “My most rewarding experiences have been teaching English in Costa Rica, working in orphanages in Ghana, Africa, disease-specific camps for children, and working with the F.O.C.U.S. program, a living-learning community dedicated to service. Volunteering is one of the most rewarding activities I do; not only do I get to help people but they truly appreciate what I can offer them.” Katherine will graduate in May 2010, after which she plans to work in international nonprofit work dedicated to allowing children to thrive in their environments through opportunities promoting growth and development. Previous winners of the Community Impact Student Award include Melissa Alston (2006), Erica Miller (2007), and Scott Councilman (2008). Winners must meet one or more of the following criteria:
◦ An innovative approach to starting or enhancing campus efforts to address community issues and needs ◦ Diverse forms of engagement such as service, service-learning, policy work, advocacy, community building, leadership positions, internships, etc. ◦ Clear demonstration of leadership skills and the ability to lead and inspire other students and/or members of the community ◦ Proof of sustainability through efforts to build their work into the institution’s structure
Fall Service Fair Recap September 16, 2009 marked the fourth annual Fall Service Fair held in the Bate Building. This year’s fall fair featured 24 agencies and benefited hundreds of students looking for volunteer opportunities. The fair officially kicked off at 12:30 p.m. as a crowd of students meandered the 24 table-top displays collecting brochures and information. This annual event is one of two each year that allows community partner agencies to come to campus and recruit student volunteers. This event also benefits students by allowing them an opportunity to meet and learn about community partners and the resources they have available. The fall 2009 fair had the largest community partner participation and greatest diversity of agencies. The 24 agencies included: American Red Cross, Aseracare Hospice, Boys and Girls Club-Jarvis, Community Homecare and Hospice, Council on Aging, ECU-READS, Foodbank of Central and Eastern Carolina, Girl Scouts, GO-Science, Mediation Center of Eastern Carolina, NC Agromedicine Institute, NC Folic Acid Campaign/March of Dimes, Pamlico-Tar River Foundation, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, PiCASO, Pirate Tutoring Center, Police Athletic League, REAL Crisis Center, REAP, RHA Howell Center, STARS/SONS, Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, TOP Soccer, United HospiceFarmville. For more information on these or any other community partners or service sites in the Greenville and surrounding areas, please contact the VSLC at (252)328-2735.
“He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot
Campus Opportunities
A Pirate’s Guide to Service Page 3
My Sister’s Closet
East Carolina University
Are you looking for attractive, reasonably priced clothing? Do you have new or gently used clothing, toys, or jewelry that you want to clean out of your closet? Are you looking for a way to help stop the cycle of domestic violence? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then My Sister’s Closet is the place for you. My Sister’s Closet is an upscale resale clothing and accessories store for men, women, teens, boys, and girls. The store opened in 1996 with the purpose of using resources gained from reselling gently used and new donations from the community to benefit The Family Violence Program, Inc. of Pitt County. Today, all proceeds generated from My Sister’s Closet go to benefit the New Directions Safe House, counseling services, community education, and legal assistance.
Over the past 13 years, the store has grown in size and popularity, recently moving for the fourth time. My Sister’s Closet most recent location change was from 2810 E. 10th St, where it had been since 2000, to 329 East Arlington Blvd. The new site previously housed Carolina Home and Garden and is a larger location that will allow for more visibility in a higher traffic area and a chance to increase sales. The resale shop opened its new locaton in mid-September and is still adjusting to the change. They are in the process of obtaining new signage and are very optimistic about the the move. My Sister’s Closest is a great resource in the Greenville community and to those who benefit from its proceeds. If you would like to support My Sister’s Closet with donations, below are some guidelines to keep in mind: oThey accept gently used items. Items should be clean and should not be torn or damaged beyond repair, such as large holes. oThey also accept new items that will be sold at a price that is fair in the resale market. oThey do accept household items such as, but not limited to, dishes, bedding, toys, and jewelry. oThey accept all seasons of clothing at all times of the year. oThey do NOT accept furniture or other large items such as appliances at this time.
Student Service Collaborative The Student Service Council is a student-run program housed in the Volunteer and Service-Leaning Center (VSLC). Its mission is to develop, enhance, and promote collaboration between students and the community in regards to humanitarian efforts. The Student Service Council is working hard to provide support to ECU student organizations that have service as their main mission. The Council hopes to provide this support in the form of a service collaborative. The Council hopes that a service collaborative would stengthen the relationships of the participating organizations. “Collaboration plays an important role in brainstorming, critical thinking, and decision making between groups or individuals. With the collaboration of other groups, the Service Council will be able to accomplish more goals and assist our peers in doing the same,” said Robert Payne, a member of Student Service Council. The Council identified 30 different student organizations that will benefit. They are currently contacting these groups to assess interest in the collaborative. The Council is discussing the importance of collaboration and receiving feedback about the outreach approach with representatives of the organizations. So far, their efforts have been met with positive responses. Begining in November, the Student Service Council with representatives from the interested student organizations will host roundtable discussions about service. These conferences and future conversations between the collaborative memberes will help to deepen service experiences, build better relationships, stregthen ECU’s relationships with the Greenville and surrounding community, and increase the overall interest in service throughout the university.
If you or your organization would like more information about the Student Service Collaborative, please contact Michael Loeffelman at 328-2735 or loefflemanm@ecu.edu.
Calendar of VSLC Upcoming Events
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Make-A-Difference Day: Saturday, October 24 For more information or to register, visit our Web site at www.ecu.edu/vslc. NCCC Student Conference: Friday, November 6 – Saturday, November 7. For more information, visit http://org.elon.edu/nccc/. MLK Day of Service: Monday, January 18
ECU Participates in 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance On September 11, 2009, students at ECU participated in the first 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. From 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., student volunteers distributed bracelets bearing the names of the nearly 3,000 individuals who died on September 11, 2001. This remembrance activity was intended to commemorate the 9/11 victims, and also to rekindle the spirit and compassion for service that was so prevalent in the wake of the attacks. In April 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which, for the first time, officially recognized September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This year, President Obama, the Corporation for National and Community Service, MyGoodDeed and the 9/11 families asked all Americans to recommit to service in their communities throughout the year. To promote ongoing service, the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center encourages ECU students to get involved throughout the academic year. Information about blood drives, Make-A-Difference Day, the MLK Day Service Challenge, and other service events was distributed with the remembrance bracelets. ECU students contribute more than 130,000 hours of service annually, and the Center hopes initiatives like the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance builds an even greater commitment to service.
Volunteer and Service-Learning Center Old Cafeteria Complex 252-328-2735 (phone) 252-328-0139 (fax) www.ecu.edu/vslc vslc@ecu.edu Judy Baker, Institutional and Community Development Consultant Kimberly Caudle, AmeriCorps*VISTA Jessica Gagne Cloutier, Service-Learning Coordinator Michael Loeffelman, Volunteer Coordinator Shawn Moore, Community Partner Coordinator
October/November Edition 2009