National Holocaust Remembrance Day

The United Nations has designated today, January 27, as  the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. Today we remember the deaths of nearly six million innocent European Jews, targeted by the Nazi German Party in order achieve the political goals of the communist dictator Adolf Hitler.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, defines genocide as “a very specific term, referring to violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group.” This museum stands as a statement urging citizens and leaders around the world to promote peace, prevent genocide, and rid the world of such hatred. The museum’s website offers many opportunities to learn and remember the people affected by the heart-wrenching events of the Holocaust. Remember, knowledge is the first step towards making a difference and ending the existence of genocide in the world. 

The following links provide incredible opportunities to learn about the events and commemorate the survivors and victims of the Holocaust.

The Path to Nazi Genocide is a 38-minute video, produced by the Holocaust Museum, that recaps the historical events leading up to, and following, the Holocaust. The film delves into the ideology behind the actions of the Nazis, and aims to provoke thought and discussion regarding the roles of individuals and groups affecting, and affected by, the Holocaust.

Remember Survivors and Victims: This page provides links to testimonies, podcasts, and resources for information on the survivors and victims of the Holocaust events. These sources allow you to connect to the victims and their families on a more personal level, and help to really understand the horrendous conditions that millions of people suffered in from 1933-1945.

Visit http://www.ushmm.org/support to help support the museum in their efforts to keep the Holocaust memory alive and cary out initiatives to learn about and prevent genocide.

Keep Calm and Volunteer On

This is our unofficial motto at the CCE right now. 

We have had a hectic beginning of September. With our Warrior Welcome Service Project, move to a new location (333 Prospect St., the beautiful big yellow Victorian house right by Nutmeg), and our Service Fair (Sept. 10) coming up, and beginning to plan for all of Community Programs, Special Events, and Alternative Break Trips, we have been going non-stop. 

Many of you who are reading this are Eastern students and are probably feeling overwhelmed with your classes, work load, and the many opportunities that Eastern has to offer through internships, jobs, and leadership opportunities on and off campus. 

The last thing you may want to think about right now is that someone may be depending on you to tutor them, provide guidance and mentorship, or need your help to make sure a homeless shelter can operate for someone to have shelter. These responsibilities may seem like an extra burden rather than something fun and you may think you have absolutely positively no time in your schedule to take them on. 

Take a step back now from all of the chaos and work that comes with being a college student. Think about what it is like to tutor a child or play a sport with a high school student and show them that its cool to play by the rules. Think about how that one moment can impact that person for the rest of their life. 

Walking into the CCE, you may feel uncertain about what you want to do or how you will ever fit volunteering into your schedule. But that's why we're here! Our jobs revolve around finding opportunities that match your passion or helping you explore careers or general volunteer opportunities that you're curious to learn more about. We offer Community Programs, Alternative Break Trips, and Special Events so that there is enough variety for anyone to get involved.

You can find us at 333 Prospect St. (a.k.a. the aforementioned big beautiful yellow Victorian house right by Nutmeg Hall) or contact us at cce@easternct.edu. You can also give us a call at 860-465-0090.

We look forward to meeting you this year!

-Jacqui De Cormier, AmeriCorps*VISTA

The Best Teacher in America?

Rafe Esquith has been deemed to be one of, if not the best teacher in America. No one can doubt that his work with 5th graders at a California inner city school is amazing. Just search him on Google, NPR, Ted Talks, and the Washington Post to see his full list of credentials and accomplishments. 

For certain, he is not the only teacher with a mindset of teaching with trust rather than fear, with creating a safespace rather than a classroom full of stress and unattainable demands. 

But what he does have, unlike many other teachers, is a voice. With award winning books and national news doing written pieces or interviewing him on segments of their shows, he is able to share his tips and thoughts about why his classroom works so well.

He is honest that it takes a lot of hard work, time, and dedication. He emphasizes consistency and has honed an envious ability to meet his students where they are at, and challenge them so they grow. 

For any aspiring teacher, he is a professional worth listening to and learning from.

Click on the image below to watch an interview of Rafe 

Nick and Pat's Ride for Hunger

Monday, February 13, 2012

Going the distance to make a difference!

Eastern Connecticut State University seniors, Nick Fitzner and Patrick Scully are using their Spring Break week to certainly go the distance.  The Rugby co-captains are riding their bikes from Washington DC to Willimantic to raise $25,000 for the Covenant Soup Kitchen, the Greater Hartford Food Share, and the Connecticut Food Bank.

The boys were inspired by Coach Ray Aramini, who rode from California to Willimantic, and Canada to Willimantic to raise money to fight hunger in Connecticut. Nick and Patrick have been recreationally riding their bikes for years and decided to give up driving their cars. While they had been riding everyday they decided to ride for a cause and raise some money. Being captains and active members of the ECSU Rugby team, they had volunteered at Covenant Soup Kitchen before and became inspired to raise money for the cause.

Nick and Patrick have been fiercely preparing for their journey. They are riding their bikes every day, mapping out their route, and figuring out logistics. Their planned route includes riding about one hundred miles every day during their weeklong expedition. They don’t plan on sightseeing too much; despite this being Nick’s first time going to DC. “We’re excited about seeing the things you don’t plan on seeing. Some of the coolest sightseeing is the stuff you don’t expect to see”.

The boys are also prepared for some struggle on the trip. They foresee weather as being their biggest hardship. “March is a tough month to predict how the weather will be. One day could be sunny and 70, the next it could be snowing”. Nick and Patrick also realize the physical pain will play into their routine. The boys explained that when riding a bike for long periods of time, your hands and feet are the first things to go numb. Despite all these obstacles there is nothing stopping them from achieving their goals!

Nick and Patrick have learned a lot just through their preparation stages. They have seen a large willingness from friends, family, and community members to give back and they are thrilled by it. Seeing a need for any help at all, they realized how important it is to give back, “even if its $500 that we raise, at least its $500 more than these organizations had before”. They also want to encourage fellow Rugby teammates and University students to continue to bridge the gap between the Willimantic community and Eastern.

As of now, Patrick and Nick are busily getting ready for their admirable expedition. The boys are raising money and taking donations.

For more information check out and donate to their website NPrideforhunger.org or their Facebook page Nick and Pat’s Ride for Hunger.

Nick Fitzner (21, Economics Major, Glastonbury)

&

Patrick Scully (21, History and Social Sciences Major, Farmington)

Under Awareness Panel & Collection!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Click images to enlarge:

Campus Food Pantries

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What do you think about this!?

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Garden On The Go Brings Fresh Produce To Food Deserts

BY ARIEL SCHWARTZ

Obesity is undoubtedly a major problem in the U.S, but it's nearly impossible to stop in the nation's food deserts, which lack access to affordable, healthy food. The California Freshworks Fund announced recently that it is giving $200 million to food vendors (everything from grocery stores to food trucks) in the state's food deserts, but Indiana already has a potential solution on the ground in the form of Garden on the Go, a truck filled with local and regional fruits and vegetables that stops throughout the week in an area that lacks easy access to healthful food.

The truck, created through a partnership between Indiana University Health and Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, has been in operation since May. It stops at a dozen places in Marion County, including public housing and senior facilities, and customers can pay for their produce with food stamps. The mobile produce truck has, according to Garden on the Go, been wildly successful--it just hit its 5,000th customer.

Garden on the Go isn't the only mobile produce market cruising the country. New York City's Holton Farms Mobile Farm Truck brings its produce to CSA members throughout the city, and Maine's Mobile Farm Stand brings fresh fruit and vegetables to senior housing sites. So food desert denizens, take note: as of now, the produce truck may be the best obesity-fighting option around.