Tuesday, November 11, 2014

National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week

From November 16-22nd is National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week.
To kick off the event, there will be a documentary shown called, "Storied Streets"; A intimate look into personal stories of Homelessness in America. The showing will be on Sunday 11/16, 7:30 PM, at the Student Center Theater.
On Tuesday and Wednesday (11/18-19), Habitat for Humanity will be hosting a Shack-a-thon, a demonstration on what homelessness feels like. Students can participate by building their own shelters to raise poverty awareness.
Wednesday, 11/19, Rochelle Ripley from Hawking, Inc. will be discussing what life is like on Indian Country today by The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, 6:00 pm at the Student Center Theatre.
Thursday 11/20 is "Make the Movement! Zumba Class". Admission is donating travel size toiletries or new pair(s) of socks to benefit No Freeze Hospitality Center. The Zumba class is at 7:00 PM at the Sports Center Dance Studio.
From Wednesday and Friday 11/19-21 is "Fill the Van! Food Drive" Help is fill an entire Eastern van with food! The van will be at the Student Center Patio each day from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Public Service Panel Tells Students How They Can Give Back After College by Michael Rouleau


 Left to right: Kimberly Sanchez ’09 (Public Allies), Max Goto ’13 (AmeriCorps VISTA), Allyson Iannicelli (Teach for America), Chris Brechlin ’09 (AmeriCorps VISTA), Michael Rouleau ’11 (AmeriCorps NCCC), Olivia Grajeda ’78 (Peace Corps) and Kathryn Fidler (Peace Corps).

Willimantic, Conn. – On Oct. 30, a panel of speakers from various national and international service programs spoke with Eastern Connecticut State University students in the President’s Dining Room. The lunchtime event was organized by the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) and featured Eastern alumni and current and former participants of Public Allies, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps VISTA, Teach for America and AmeriCorps NCCC. Each of the programs vary in project/service type, qualification and commitment, but all focus on positively impacting the communities in which they serve.
Eastern alumna Kimberly Sanchez ’09, a representative of Public Allies, spoke of how the program engages students and young leaders in work with nonprofit organizations. During her two terms with Public Allies, Sanchez has worked with Connecticut College to develop innovative teaching and learning techniques that foster active citizenship in greater New London communities.
The Peace Corps, a two-year service program that places volunteers in developing countries throughout the world, was represented by Kathryn Fidler and Eastern alumna Olivia Grajeda ’78. From 2002–04, Fidler served as a youth development volunteer in the Philippines and as a nonprofit program director in South Korea. Grajeda spent two years serving in a hospital as a community health organizer in Albania.
AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), which focuses on expanding community programs that alleviate issues related to poverty, was represented by Eastern alumni Max Goto ’13 and Christopher Brechlin ’09. Amid his second VISTA term, Goto currently works at Eastern’s CCE as an event and volunteer coordinator. Brechlin, a data specialist, spent his VISTA term managing the measurement initiative of the Nonprofit Alliance of Northeast Connecticut.
Teach for America, a program that assigns participants to education-focused projects within underperforming school districts, was represented by Allyson Iannicelli. During her term, she served in Tulsa, OK, as an early childhood educator from 2012–14.
AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), a hands-on, team-based service program that assigns teams to different projects within a designated area, was represented by Eastern alumnus Michael Rouleau ’11. During his term, Rouleau performed trail work and forest fire mitigation in Arizona; IRS certified tax preparation in Denver, CO; prototype disaster relief shelter construction in Austin, TX; and watershed restoration in southwest Colorado.
While making money is not a primary draw for these programs, many do offer modest salaries or living allowances, as well as assistance with student loans and other financial perks. Their primary draw is the opportunity to give back to communities while enabling participants to travel, grow, develop professional networks and work in a number of job and service areas.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Relay for Life 10/18-19/2014

The Windham Community participated in a rally for cancer awareness called "Relay for Life". "Relay for Life" is an annual event the American Cancer Society holds through  out the United States. The event is about cancer survivors and volunteers rallying for cancer awareness, and that cancer is a treatable and preventable disease.

The Center of Community Engagement had over fifty students from Eastern Connecticut State University to volunteer, and participate in the rally.
 
The event took place on the baseball field at the Mansfield Sports Complex. The Willimantic Community raised $4,639, while the whole Windham Community raised $65,764.69.

Ellen Gillette, who works at Eastern's IT Department, was a cancer survivor. Gillette has never done a relay before, but her son and daughter had. Eight and a half years ago, Gillette was diagnosed with lymphoma. When she was diagnosed, she had kimo  and surgery, which got rid of her cancer, and her lymphoma has not returned ever since. Gillette is still feeling strong and healthy today. She joined Relay for Life with the staff from ECSU as survivors. She planned to be more involved to fight cancer.

"It takes a village to fight cancer" - Ellen Gillette