Homeless and Hunger Week!

This weekend, our wonderful crunch berry city hosted the Cedar Rapids Sleep Out for the Homeless.  Approximately 150 people participated, and the event raised $11,000.00 toward the local shelters.  Channel 2 were also in attendance to broadcast the sleep out. 

There was a cardboard shelter building competition for everyone to build homes out of sheets of cardboard and packing tape.  The Coe women's basketball team won an award for the most interesting cardboard box. 


Noel Rozum from the Office of Service-Learning and Campus Engagement brought a team of 13 under the name of Team Coe to the event as well.  Team Coe raised $137.00 which contributed to the $11,000.00 that the event made.  The team also made 150 fleece hats, 6 blankets, and 6 scarves all to be donated to the homeless. 


Picture Time!

AFB Minneapolis/St. Paul

Fall break is a time for rest and relaxation.  A time for students to catch up on sleep, go home, and visit friends.  Fall break is, by its very name, a break from school and worries and responsibility.

Yeah, right.

Twelve students, including myself, didn’t get the memo.  Instead, we packed up our bags and headed off to the Twin Cities to serve the homeless population and those in extreme poverty.  Our whirlwind adventure began on Saturday morning, when we drove up to Minnesota, and didn’t end until Tuesday evening when we finally arrived back at Coe and wearily unloaded the vans.

During that four day span, we managed to get in a lot of quality service.  Our team worked together on a variety of projects.  On Sunday, for example, we packed food for three hours at the Dorothy Day Center in the heart of St. Paul.  We also got to sit down and eat lunch with the homeless clients, which was a new and interesting experience for some of us.  It was a little awkward at first for me, but once I had a conversation going I heard some amazing fact and stories.  It was refreshing and humbling to see the city from a different point of view.

The AFB students also worked in a family shelter, Sharing and Caring Hands, on Monday and Tuesday morning.  There, they served breakfast to over two hundred people each day.  In addition, the students worked at sorting donated clothing and cleaning up Como Park.  In a special service opportunity, a few students got to work with Project Home, which offered a place to sleep at night for homeless families in the basement of the same church that gave our group a place to sleep as well.  It was touching to work with kids who were carefree and happy to just play at night, even considering their situation.

Despite our hard work, we also found time to squeeze in a little fun:  Ethiopian cuisine, an impromptu tour of the St. Paul Cathedral, and free time in the Mall of America were an added bonus.  We spent a little time exploring the neighborhood we were staying in and got to compare and contrast different subcultures within the cities.

In the end, we left a mark on the Twin Cities; however, the people we met and served made a positive impact on us in return.  What we saw and what we learned will forever influence our actions and choices.  I can’t wait to take my new knowledge and apply it to fighting homelessness and poverty in the city of Cedar Rapids!

Hannah

Fall Mid-Term

Hey all!

With mid-terms basically finished and all rested after fall break, it is a great time to think about serving! Come stop by the office to check out our cool programs. There really is service for any one whether you have a tight schedule, artistic, athletic, chatty, shy, passionate, or your just looking to meet new people I'm sure we can find something for you!

I help with the Four Oaks-The Bridge Art Program meet every Thursday from 4:00-5:30. We plan the crafts, pick the supplies and then finally do the craft with the kids. If your creative, love kids, or just need a study break we would love to have you! Last week we made wreaths from leaves and the before that bugs with toilet paper rolls! It was a blast! Next on the list, a craft with a Halloween theme. Shoot me an email if your interested!

Amanda

Service Events on September 11th

This past Sunday was the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.  Even after ten years, it is hard to come to terms with the tragedy that took place here on U.S. soil.  To commemorate the people who lost their lives and to recognize those who have served and are currently serving in the United States military, September 11th has been designated the National Day of Service and Remembrance.  On this day, across the nation people band together to support those affected by all types of conflict, especially war. 

This year, Coe College participated in the National Day of Service and Remembrance by sending care packages to soldiers who are currently overseas.  Students, faculty, and staff were asked to recommend soldiers to receive the packages as well as donate non-perishable items.  On Sunday the 11th, a group of students met to pack the boxes with the donated items.  In total, 30 care packages were packaged and sent to soldiers who have a personal connection to someone here at Coe. 

In addition to the packing of care packages, many other activities took place on the 11th.  One of these included a spiritual reflection with the chaplain.  Not only is it important to do something good for the community - like send care packages - but reflection is also a necessary factor to really understanding the significance of things. 

The day was a great success, and hopefully will continue to be in the future!

Welcome Back!

Hello, beautiful readers!

It's been an exciting few weeks back in the OSLCE office. Tuesday, September 6 was our Service Fair. Lots of community partners came to Coe to explain their missions to Coe students, especially freshmen looking for service options to complete 20 hours of service.

Since then, the student staff have been working diligently to get their programs up and running by contacting community partners, training at service sites, holding orientations, and trying to find students to volunteer.

Of course, that's not the only thing we've been working on!

After receiving a grant, the OSLCE and the Chaplain's Office collaborated to find donations to fill 20 boxes for American soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Donations included: razors, food, shampoo, books, magazines, cards, lotion, money, et cetera. Luckily, we received enough donations to pack 29 boxes!

Then, students ate lunch together and discussed patriotism. Afterwards, they headed to Veterans Memorial Stadium to participate in an interfaith memorial service for those who were effected ten years ago today.

It was an insightful day as Coe students chose to "Remember, Reflect, and Respect" those who lost their lives and whose lives were forever effected because of events that changed us on September 11, 2001.

Thanks for reading!

OSLCE Awards and Recognition

If you have ever visited the Office of Service Learning and Campus Engagement, then you probably have seen the awards that litter the walls of the office.  These awards were given to the OSLCE to recognize the work they have done to better the Cedar Rapids Community.

The Coe College Office of Service Learning and Campus Engagement received the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in 2009 and 2010. The OSLCE was recognized for distinguished general community service in recognition of extraordinary volunteer efforts by the school and its students to serve area neighborhoods and communities.

Coe College is also recognized as a proud member of Iowa Campus Compact (IACC).  IACC is a statewide association of college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education by educating students for active citizenship and building strong communities. This is accomplished by integrating community service, service-learning and community engagement opportunities into student's academic and co-curricular activities.

Coe College Office of Service-Learning and Campus Engagement was named Volunteer of the Year from the ARC of East Central Iowa in 2009.  This award was given to recognize the work of the service-learning professional writing class and the first year students’ service-learning program called Movin’ and Groovin’.

In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Coe College Office of Service-Learning and Campus Engagement received the Al Smith School and Community Partner Recognition Award from the following three schools: Taylor Elementary, Polk Elementary, and McKinley Middle School.  Taylor Elementary recognized Coe College for their Service-Learning Recess Buddies Program and HACAP Backpack Program. Polk Elementary honored Coe College for the Backpack Program, Off Campus Federal Work Study, and Girl Scout Outreach Program. McKinley Middle School recognized Coe College for their work with the Core Skills Study Hour Tutors, Learning Lunches, and the PenPal program.

In January 2011, the Office of Service-Learning and Campus Engagement was recognized as the “NRHH Faculty/Staff of the Month.”  This award was for their work on MLK Day.

In May 2011, Cedar Rapids Dance Marathon was recognized as the Philanthropic Contribution of the Year at Coe College during the annual Leadership Convocation.  Cedar Rapids Dance Marathon was also named the "Best new Dance Marathon" in July 2011.

Coe College Office of Service-Learning and Campus Engagement was also recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and the Iowa Department of Revenue in 2011.  This award was for their work with the VITA Super Tax Saturday held on campus in February of 2011.

Keep up the good work OSLCE!

Looking forward to a great year!

Hello! My name is Wendy and I have been a VISTA at Coe for exactly one year (today!)! However, I don't think I've actually introduced myself on this blog. So I'm here to do that!

I graduated from the University of Iowa in 2010 with a degree that does not have much to do with community service. How did I end up at Coe then, you might ask. Well, I've always been involved with my own community service and a few service-oriented organizations. I also discovered an interest in working with students while I worked in an advising office during undergrad. I was lucky to find this position at Coe because it does a great job of combining my interests in student affairs and my love for helping people.

I love to spend time with my family and friends. I've been blessed to have a very large family (45 and counting cousins that I'm very close with) and lots of friends that support me in all that I do. My family is relatively close by to Coe, so I'm fortunate to be able to see them often. Another fun fact about me is that I grew up on a dairy farm! I love talking to people about what it's like to live on a farm, so if you are curious I'm happy to share my experiences! I'm also a big hockey fan (well, it's a new interest for me, but I love it!) and college football fan.

A few of my favorite things from last year were definitely the Alternative Spring Break trip I was lucky to help advise. It was my first time in Atlanta, but it was a great experience! I also loved being able to help students throughout the year find a new passion, or continue with a passion they already held, but maybe in a new way. I really enjoy the variety of things I get to experience at Coe. I've been able to help a group of students pack over 9,000 meals in just a few hours for Kids Against Hunger, build a shed for a Habitat for Humanity family, raise over $25,500 for the University of Iowa Children's Hospital, and work Aging Services to put 500 hours in one day into the community helping the elderly in the community with their housework. There's so much potential for us to help the Cedar Rapids community and I can't wait to get started on the new school year! I look forward to working with all of the new students at Coe this fall!

Best wishes, Wendy