Day of Giving!

This month, ECSU volunteers have spent their weekends collecting cans and raising money for local soup kitchens and pantries. This has all led up to the Day of Giving! The Day of Giving is a community celebration where members from the Willimantic Community can come and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast together. It is a great time of laughter, joy and thankfulness as community members, who may not have ever interacted before, have the opportunity to share a meal.

This is the 7th Annual Day of Giving event and it is expected to accomodate more people than ever!

If you're in the Willimantic area, be sure to stop by!

Shack-A-Thon

Shack-A-Thon

 

Tuesday, November 19^th-Wednesday, November 20^th – The wind blew, sending a chill down the backs of ECSU college students as they made their way quickly to class. It was a high of 47 degrees during the day and a low of 31 degrees once the sun disappeared in the evening. Still, Habitat for Humanity Club members embraced the cold as they made their way to the center of Webb Lawn, carting large cardboard boxes behind them. There they started creating what would become their home for the next 30 straight hours, only going inside for class and to use the restroom.

The Shack-A-Thon is an event run by Habitat for Humanity in order to raise awareness for sub standardized housing. Members got to experience what it is like to live like a person who is unable to afford a place to call “home.” Club members had to raise $100 in order to participate.

Freshmen Habitat for Humanity members, Sam Walter, Kaley K. and Alex Hoffman and Sophomore, Kevin Powel, participated in this event for the first time. They collected their boxes at noon on Tuesday and had already been outside for nearly seven hours. They mentioned how “blessed they were to have a dorm with heat.” They also said that this experience really made them appreciate all the little things that they had so often taken for granted in the past such as their backpacks, sleeping bags and even their name brand clothing. Despite everything they had with them for this event, they were still cold and this made them think about what it must be like for people who do not even have a warm coat or gloves.

Eastern students and staff were encouraged to donate money or they could also make a donation in food for the Shack-A-Thon participants to eat. For every donation that was made during those 30 hours, the contributor could nail a paper brick to a plywood cutout of a house.

In the end, the ECSU Habitat for Humanity club was able to collect a total of $1,750. The participants were able to persevere through freezing temperatures and wind capable of blowing their structures away in order to support a great cause.

Oxfam America

 

 

Some of you may have had the opportunity to attend the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet that took place yesterday, or maybe you have attended a Hunger Banquet in the past.

The Hunger Banquet is a powerful event that allows people to experience the inequality of food distribution that occurs around the world. I remember at my first Hunger Banquet, sitting on the floor with a handful of rice, being moved to tears by experiencing poverty at a level that millions of people are subjected to. They say that 1 out of every 7 people goes to bed hungry. This statistic really hit home for me because I have 7 people in my own family. I remember thinking: What if this was one of my own family members having that small amount of food to eat on a daily basis? And I knew right then that this issue was going to become very important to me.

Oxfam America is a "global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger and injustice."
Thier vision: A just world without poverty.
Their mission: To create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and social injustice.

Instead of just providing charity to poor people, Oxfam works on empowering people and communities through creating sustainable solutions that will last.

One of their big campaigns is the GROW Campaign. The mission of this Campaign is to "build a better food system: one that sustainably feeds a growing population and empowers poor people to earn a living, feed their families, and thrive."

If you are interested in learning more about the work of Oxfam America, you can visit their website: www.oxfamamerica.org.

If you want to get more involved in Oxfam America, you can check out their CHANGE program at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatyoucando/take-action/student-action/change.

The CHANGE Program is a student leadership program that "develops capable leaders, who are informed voices for positive social change, and who inspire greater global awareness in others." As a CHANGE Leader, you become more informed about issues surrounding poverty, hunger and injustice and learn how to spread awareness and activism about these issues on your campus.

As a CHANGE Leader Alumni, I can say that this was an amazing experience that taught me a lot. Not only that, but you get to meet college students from all over the U.S. who are just as passionate as you about creating change.

If you are interested in finding out more information about the CHANGE Program, feel free to contact me at hilln@my.easternct.edu and I would love to tell you about my own experience!


~Nicolle Hill, CCE Intern

It's National Homelessness Awareness Week!

There is a lot of things going on this week! Check them out!

-          Monday, November 18, Hunger Banquet, Niejadlik Hall, 7pm

-          Tuesday – Wednesday, November 19-20, Shack-a-Thon, Webb Lawn, 12pm on 11/19 - 6pm on 11/20

-          Thursday, November 21, “What is a Home?” Panel Discussion, SC Theatre, 3pm

-          Wednesday- Friday, November 21-23, Children’s glove/mitten drive, Webb Lawn/Lobby, Student Center, 10am-2pm

-          Monday-Friday, Voices of Homelessness Art Exhibit from No-Freeze, Student Center lobby/Webb hall

 

If you have any questions about any of the events, please contact the Center for Community Engagement at cce@easternct.edu!

 

Puentes Al Futuro

Check out the awesome things that the Puentes Al Futuro community program has been up to!

What is Puentes Al Futuro?

• Puentes Al Futuro, also known as Bridges to the Future, is an afterschool program for middle and high school students.
• The goal of the program is to provide a fun and enriching atmosphere for English Language Leaners while giving college students an opportunity to work with learners and gain a lifetime experience.
• It also provides a mutual understanding of cultural competnece, learning new skills and patience for both students and the volunteers.

Lily Egan, a CCE student leader for the middle school Puentes Al Futuro program, shares some of her experience with the kids. "Part of my job title is to teach them hip-hop on Wednesdays which includes fun filled games, stretching and other cherographing a hip hop dance that they will be performing in front of family and friends." These students will have the opportunity to share their new dance skills with their family and friends on Wednesday, December 4.

The middle school Puentes Al Futuro program focuses on activites such as art, homework help, science, percussion and hip-hop dance. The high school Puentes Al Futuro program focuses on activities such as hip-hop poetry, hip-hop dance, computer skills, art and life skills, math and language arts.

The program offers young students an opportunity to work in a positive, fun environment while getting to know both students their own age and Eastern students that serve as great mentors.

Homelessness in CT

This is the second part of a two part series leading up to the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week that is taking place November 18-23. Last week was on hunger in Connecticut; this week will be featuring the issue of homelessness.

As the days get colder and darker, the issue of homelessness becomes an urgent matter.

According to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness' article titled "Portrats of Homelessness in Connecticut," the state's emergency shelters served 11,700 people, 1,500 of them being children (Portraits, 1).

The factors that they list as contributing factors to homelessness include (Portraits, 1):

• Inadequate Income: "homeless families typically have extremely low incomes under 50% of the poverty level" (p. 1).
• High Costs of Housing: In 2010, CT had the 5th highest cost of living in the U.S. and about 80% of poor households in CT are weighed down by housing costs with 50% of their paycheck or more going towards rent.
• Interpersonal Violence: 40% of CT adults in families said that domestic violence contributed to their homelessness.
• Disability Health Conditions: this factor is on the rise as more and more adults are diagnosed with medical and psychological conditions
• Re-entry and Criminal Justice Involvement

In 2010, CT had 24 emergency shelters for homeless individuals, 10 for homeless families and 18 that serve a mixed population of both families and individuals (p. 3).

If you would like to read more about Homelessness in CT from this article, you can find it at: http://www.cfgnh.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/Public/giveANDlearn-reports/HOMELESSNESS-portraits_full.pdf

Habitat for Humanity

Last week I had the opportunity to talk to Jessica Wagner, the Public Relations officer of the ECSU Habitat for Humanity club. Jessica is only a freshman at Eastern this year, but she believes so much in the mission of Habitat for Humanity, that she was made the PR officer earlier in the semester and has become really involved in the activities that the club participates in.

The mission statement of the ECSU Habitat for Humanity Club is as followed: “To increase awareness of sub-standard housing on campus and in the community. We also help to eradicate this issue with Windham and New London affiliate. Members can benefit from Gaining Community Service Hours, Learning Construction Skills, Traveling Around the Country, Enhancing Their Resume, Meeting New Friends, Getting More Involved In The University’s Community and Helping Families Get Out of Poverty Housing” (http://www.easternct.edu/studentactivities/clubs_orgs/habitat.htm).

Jessica told me a lot about the two big events that Habitat is putting on during Eastern’s Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (November 18-23).

The first event, an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet, is going to be on Monday, November 18. People Helping People (PHP) is also helping out with the event. If you have never been to a Hunger Banquet, then I would definitely encourage you to attend this event. The premise of the Hunger Banquet is better left a surprise, but what I can tell you is to go to Niejadlik Hall at 7pm and come hungry.

 The second event, the annual Shack-A-Thon, is going to be from November 19^th-20^th on Webb Lawn. At this event you can “see your fellow ECSU students live and sleep in boxes for 30 hours straight to help raise awareness for substandard housing.” Habitat club members raise $100 to sleep in boxes for a night on campus. The money goes to the Windham Habitat for Humanity affiliate.

Curious about how you can become a Habitat for Humanity Club Member? You can attend their meetings on Mondays at 7:30pm in Room 219 in the Student Center. If you want to find out more about their club you can e-mail them at habitatforhumanity@my.easternct.edu. You can also like them on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter @ECSUHabitat.

I asked Jessica why she thought Eastern Students should get involved in Habitat. She said that is was a “good way to meet new people, you get to go to different places and it is a great way to help in the community.”

~Nicolle Hill, CCE Intern

~ * ~

Impact...

Ever wonder if you are actually making an impact? Or if what you're doing is really making a difference?

 

Dillon Melady, a CCE student leader, shares a story about the Recess Program that started last week.

 

Dillon and a group of student volunteers met 3rd grade students outside during their Recess time. Instead of being shy and avoiding these older, bigger college students, these 3rd graders let their curiousity get the best of them as they introduced themselves and got right to the point that they wanted to play. It ended up being a great time of playing kickball and jumping rope!

The second time that they went, all the kids remembered the volunteers and were so excited to see that they had come back! The 3rd graders were not the only ones happy to see the Eastern volunteers; the teachers also told Dillon "how grateful they were for the volunteers to be there as positive role models." One student told Dillon about his plans about going to Eastern one day.

 

Student volunteers...what you are doing DOES matter! It is making a difference! No matter how small and even if you do not see it right away, you are making an impact.



pinterest.com

 

 

 

 

Social Work Club and the Adopt a Family Project

Eastern Connecticut State University has some pretty amazing clubs who do some awesome things for the community. For example, the Social Work Club has been working on the Adopt a Family Project for the second year in a row. Chaneil Beckford, President of the Social Work Club, gives a description of what the
Adopt a Family Project is. 

Social Work Club Adopt a family Project

Last Year the former Social Work club President Judy-ann McDuffus thought it would be helpful to offer our services and time by giving back to the community by adopting a family. Last year was the first time our club got involved with Windham Area Inter Faith Ministries Adopt a family project, intended to help low income families experience and enjoy a Christmas.

We had over ten fundraisers and did over 121 hours of fundraising and we were able to make over $800 in which used to help five local families. We asked for donations and held several bakes sales to allocate the money, we were able to purchase thirty gifts for the five families including; toys, blankets, infant clothing, scarf and Wal-Mart gift cards for food.

This year we would like to continue to extend our assistance to other families and work towards helping them to also enjoy Christmas with our dedication and effort. It was truly a rewarding experience the first time we helped families that we felt pleased to help again this year.

We have already begun the bake sale fundraisers and we have been requesting other forms of donations, we intend to deliver the gift to the families on December 6^th 2013.
This year we hope to not only provide these families with gifts we would like to provide them with hope, that there still are people willing and motivated to make a difference in their lives.

-Chaneil Beckford

Social Work Club President

Club Members wrapping the gifts for delivery

To learn more about the Windham Area Inter Faith Ministries (WAIM) and their Adopt a Family Program, you can visit their website at: http://waimct.org/programs-draft/seasonal-programs/adopt-a-family.

Make sure you stop by the bake sale fundraisers that the Social Work club is holding this semester to donate or just to say hi and check out what their club is all about!

Hunger in Connecticut

The CCE is putting on many events this month to raise awareness about Hunger and Homelessness.

What does the issue of HUNGER look like in Connecticut?

The Connecticut Food Bank has done a lot of research alongside Feeding America about hunger and poverty in Connecticut. You can check out their website here: http://www.ctfoodbank.org/
Here are some interesting facts that I found on their website:

• 20.9% of children in Windham County live in a food insecure household.
• That's about 5,560 children
• 19.8% of children in Connecticut live in a food insecure household.
• That's about 157,550 children
• In Connecticut, 1 out of 7 households cannot always afford the food that they need.

What is food security?


According to the USDA, food security is defined as "access by all people at all times to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life."

It is difficult for people who live in a food insecure situation to afford foods that will provide the adequate nutrients needed for this active and healthy lifestyle. Instead, those in a food insecure situation are eating foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt content which does not contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

Check out this interactive map that has food insecurity statistics from all across the U.S.: http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx

What can you do to help?

• You can help by participating in the food drives happening every weekend this month and encouraging your friends to join you.
• Look out for the events that will be happening during the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 18-23 and participant in as many of the events as you can.
• Attend a People Helping People, Habitat for Humanity or other social service club meeting and see what events they are putting on this month.
• Get involved with GROW Windham.
• Check out the Connecticut Food Bank website mentioned above for more ideas and facts.
• Sign up for the Day of Giving which is November 27 (the day before Thanksgiving)

If you are interested in any of the events above and would like more information, just e-mail the Center for Community Engagement at cce@easternct.edu.

It's November!

NOVEMBER 1st! Already?!

The semester is flying by, and this is the last full month of the semester and with it comes many exciting things that are happening around the ECSU campus.

Also, don't forget to turn those clocks back this weekend (Sunday morning)! One extra hour of sleep!

Here is a list of just a few special events happening this month:

November 2-24: Weekend Food Drives
November 17-23: National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (Stay tuned for events that are happening during this week!)
November 23: Walk for Warmth
November 27: Day of Giving
November 28: THANKSGIVING!

Keep an eye out for those boxes that will be appearing in all the dorms, administrative and classroom buildings starting next week. Bring any non-perishable foods you might have!

E-mail the CCE at cce@easternct.edu for more information about any of the events listed above!