February 7, 2007
Quote of the Week:
"A pessimist, they say, sees a glass of water as being half empty;
an optimist sees the same glass as half full.
But a giving person sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty."
~G. Donald Gale~
A little "Thanks" goes a long way...
If you go to this website, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and then send it to a soldier currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. What a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the day of a soldier serving in the war!
ITHACA COLLEGE POVERTY CHALLENGE - what can one college do?
“We all know that one PERSON can change the world –
but what can one college do?”
ONE person can make a difference.
ONE college can come together.
ONE issue can become history.
The Power of One: Poverty Challenge
This year, Ithaca College will be encouraging our campus community to get involved in a variety of service opportunities and educational programs that will address the issue of poverty – at the local, national, and global level. A variety of options to participate will be available – ranging from volunteer opportunities, educational programs, service trips, and academic work – to address the issue of poverty.
In a recent report from the Core Experience Task Force, the group listed “Social and Environmental Responsibility” as an essential attribute of an Ithaca College graduate. Such responsibility includes the ability to understand, appreciate, and think critically about cultural complexity, sustainability, and diversity and the development of a global perspective. Through the Poverty Challenge – we are encouraging students, faculty, and staff to think about what they can do to affect not only the effects of poverty, but the root causes as well.
All opportunities connected to the Poverty Challenge will be highlighted in the sections below in RED.
Poverty Challenge Event:
How does $1000 sound?
Through the month of February, the Office of Student Engagement will be sponsoring a water bottle drive to benefit the Seventh Ward of New Orleans. The student organization with the most donated ounces of water will receive $1000 for programming. Drop-off times will be from 9AM-3PM Tuesday, February 13, 20, and 27 in the campus center lobby at the designated table. We hope to see you there!
Questions? Email us at volunteer@ithaca.edu
ONE TIME OPPORTUNITIES - spend your free time volunteering - have fun and do good at the same time!
This February 6th... Teach For America
welcomes you to the Clark Lounge for an I nformation Session at 5pm , and Drop-In Dinner at 6pm
Look in this Thursday's Ithacan for an article on Teach For America and educational inequity.
As we begin a new semester and many graduating Ithaca seniors continue job searches, keep the following thoughts in mind:
-In 2007, only half of America's 13 million children growing up in poverty will graduate from high school.
-Those who do will perform on average at an 8th-grade level.
-9 year olds in low-income communities will already be 3 grade levels behind their peers in higher-income areas.
We have the ability and the obligation to make closing the educational achievement gap our generation's social justice issue.
Drop by the Clarke Lounge in Campus Center on February 6th to hear how your next two years can change the future for the next generation. Join a former corps member at 5pm for a Teach For America Informational Session and stick around/drop in for free pizza at 6pm to chat about his experience in the classroom. Learn why Teach For America has become one of the most sought after post-graduation jobs and one of the nation's fastest growing social movements.
Final Application Deadline: February 18, 2007
Apply Here: https://www.teachforamerica.org/online/info/register.jsp > www.teachforamerica.org
Saturday, February 10th, 2007 – Darwin Weekend Celebration
The Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth are seeking volunteers to help facilitate family activities on Saturday, February 10th for the second annual Darwin Weekend Celebration! Darwin Day is an annual, international commemoration of the birthday and ideas of Charles Darwin, a British naturalist born February 12, 1809, and author of the seminal book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. Saturday will be part of a five day celebration from Thursday, February 8th through Monday, February 12th with events taking place at Museum of the Earth and Cornell University. For more information about the entire celebration, please visit http://www.priweb.org/darwinday.html .
We are seeking volunteers from *10:30 am – 3:30 pm*
Volunteers will assist children and their families with various activities throughout the Museum.If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact Alicia Reynolds at Reynolds@museumoftheearth.org
MENTOR NEEDED!
Wanted:
An energetic male to mentor a 7th grade Latino boy in the Ithaca Community. He lives in the city of Ithaca with his mother and 2 older sisters. He would love someone to play basketball with on a regular basis. Can you spare some time? Need a reason to get out on a cold winter day?
Qualifications:
Smart, athletic, caring and able to make a commitment to meeting one hour a week for at least a year. Being a Mentor doesn't require any special skills, just a desire to be a friend to a child and meet with them 1 hour a week.
Benefits:
Opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child. Mentors get trained and have regular support from our professional staff. Plus we have ideas for lots of great activities to do with your Mentee!
Contact :
College Discovery Program at the Ithaca Youth Bureau
phone: 273-8364 X151 or via e-mail: lcbarr@cityofithaca.org
Second Annual Finger Lakes Tap Dance Festival
March 30-April 1, 2007, Ithaca College is hosting the Second Annual Finger Lakes Tap Dance Festival, produced by the Tap Legacy™ Foundation, Inc. Tap dancers and tap dance enthusiasts will be coming to Ithaca from across North America, and six world-renowned guest artists are scheduled for the weekend of events. (For more information about the festival, you can check out www.fingerlakestapfestival.com )
We need volunteers to assist us in the following positions: photographer, on-site coordinators, registration and check-in, merchandise sales, stage set-up, technical theatre (lights, audio, etc.), stage manager, etc.
We would need volunteers in shifts (shifts vary by position desired).
The times are:
Friday March 30th: 5:30 pm-10:30 pm
Saturday, March 31st: 7:30 am-1 pm, 12:30 pm-5:30 pm, 6pm-11pm, 12
pm-10:30 pm (stage help)
Sunday, April 1st: 12pm-3:30pm, 3:00 pm-6:30 pm
Please contact Sarah Hunter at shunter1@ithaca.edu by Wednesday , February 15, 2007 with your volunteering preferences.
Compos Mentis: Working Toward Wellness
This is a new not-for-profit organization, which is seeking responsible volunteers to help young adults with mental illnesses make the transition to school or work, primarily by working together on an organic farm from May to October.
Volunteer training will be provided. We also need volunteers who can work from home or at the farm on a variety of tasks to advance the organization.
Please call Susan Larkin (607) 539-7299 or Paula Winner (607) 273-320 4
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY IN MOTION BIKE TOUR - www.democracybike.com*/
Bike to organic farms and intentional communities. Meet incredible people committed to redefining our world. Participate in hands-on service projects and amazing democracy circles. Live with the land and camp under the stars. Transform, nourish and thrive. Change your world, one mile at a time.
web: www.democracybike.com phone: 503-239-8426
WE ARE GIVING ONE OF OUR TOURS AWAY -- VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO WIN!
This summer, you can take an extraordinary journey. Tune up your bike,pack your bags, and join fellow riders from all over the world for an incredible excursion across Oregon, utilizing the most sustainablemethod of transportation available: your own bike.
-- Be a part of an incredible traveling community of people coming from a great variety of backgrounds and ages with a shared longing for a better world.
-- Study and apply the philosophies of permaculture, green building, small-scale economics, sustainable energy and intentional living.
-- Observe local economics projects and grassroots democracy struggles in the communities you visit.
-- Gain a deeper understanding of how your food is grown by speaking with the people who grow your organic food and supporting their work.
-- Through hands-on service projects with leaders of the sustainability movement, contribute and be the change.
-- Participate in incredible town hall-style discussions on basic grassroots democracy concerns in the communities where we travel.
-- Learn about nutrition, health and fitness through long-distance cycling while visiting beautiful public lands and gaining experience in low-impact camping.
-- Explore and camp in some of the most incredibly beautiful places in Oregon while learning about natural history and environmental ethics.
ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES - invest time over the long haul - make a commitment to a cause!
ADVOCACY CENTER HOTLINE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Advocacy Center will be holding a Hotline Volunteer Training this spring. Volunteer advocates help staff our 24-hour hotline for adult and youth survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and sexual assault. We also support friends, families and professionals who have a survivor in their lives. Our advocates receive 45 hours of training regarding our services, issues we address, crisis counseling, advocacy, referrals and support.
Training will begin Feb. 17th and will end the first week of April.
For exact dates of training, more information or how to get an application, please contact me at 277-3203 or at aboyd@theadvocacycenter.org
HOSPICARE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Hospicare and Palliative Care Services of Tompkins County will offer a training session for people who are interested in volunteering their time assisting and supporting patients with advanced illness and their families. The training is scheduled for February 26th, February 27th, March 5th, March 6th, March 12th, and March 13th, all six sessions are from 5:30 pm-9:00 pm at the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Center, 172 E. King Road in Ithaca.
Volunteers play a significant role in the delivery of hospice and palliative care services to patients and families facing a life-limiting illness. The range of volunteer activities is very broad; they may read aloud, run errands, write letters, allow the family some time to get out of the house or just offer companionship.
Upon completion of training (volunteers must complete all six sessions), volunteers may elect to work with patients and families in their homes or in nursing homes, or may assist in the Hospicare Residence.
To get an application and arrange an interview contact Wendy Yettru at Hospicare, 272-0212 or via email at volprog@hospicare.org
COMPOST EDUCATION PROGRAM of TOMPKINS COUNTY */
The Compost Education Program of Tompkins County is currently recruiting applicants for its 2007 Master Composter Training Program. Master Composters are an enthusiastic group of volunteers trained to educated the public about composting. They work on many levels to promote responsible composting practices. They conduct workshops, write educational articles, help manage demonstration sites & speak to others interested in composting. This year, training sessions are scheduled for ten Wednesday evenings, February 7-April 25. If you are interested in protecting the environment, improving gardens, reducing waste and having fun with a lively community group, applications are available on line at http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/tompkins/compost
ALL ELIGIBLE BLOOD DONORS IMMEDIATELY NEEDED TO STRENGTHEN BLOOD SUPPLY
Over 500 Units of Blood Uncollected Due to Recent Storm in W-NY For a list of upcoming blood drives click on http://www.tompkins-redcross.org/fset_blood.htm
TOMPKINS COUNTY OFFICE FOR THE AGING IS RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS FOR PROJECT CARE
Project CARE is an outreach program that provides in-home support to homebound seniors. Tompkins County Office for the Aging is looking for volunteers that can commit one hour a week. The Office for the Aging will match volunteers' interests, abilities and availability with the specific needs of each caregiver. Seniors of Tompkins County request help in the following areas: running errands/transportation, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, and light yard work. Some seniors just enjoy another person's company and request for a “friendly visitor”.
If a student/faculty member can only commit to a short amount of time each week, they will work with you to find a task that fits into your schedule. The purpose of this program is to not only enhance the life of the elder but to also foster a mutually beneficial interaction between the generations. If interested please contact Sara Eckstein ( seckste1@ithaca.edu ) or Trina Schickel -607-274-5491 & email: Kschickel@tompkins-co.org
LACS - LEHMAN ALTERNATIVES COMMUNITY SCHOOL - VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
1. After School Tutoring / Academic Support: Tutor students in various fields in our after school program; about five to eight students come on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from 3:30 – 4:30. Subjects include English, math, social studies, Spanish, science, and so forth. Both middle and high school students, though primarily middle schoolers. This is at LACS, which is alternative school, so you will be exposed to different types of assignments. There are a variety of needs and skill levels, from basic reading skills to research papers. We are looking for people who can come each week; consistency is key for these students.
2. Assist with either the middle school or high school drama classes and production: acting, set design, costume, dance, and more.
3. Tutor / Offer academic support in math, English or Special Education. Times vary during the school day, but often fall during our project times – Tuesday 12:10 – 2:20 and Thursday 9:10 – 12:30.
4. Offer a project (1 ½ hours a week) in an area that you love, such as jazz, poetry, song writing, soccer, knitting, hiking, etc. It is an alternative school and we are open to new ideas. Project times are usually Tuesday 12:10 – 2:20 (two splits) and Thursday 9:10 – 12:30 (two splits).
5. Assist with Service Learning program. Help coordinator of Service Learning provide service opportunities and reflection sessions to learn about service, community, and related economic, cultural and political matters. Projects have included work with prisoners, low income housing, senior citizens, hunger, and more. Great opportunity to be part of the community and work with teens. Possible college credit if you find a cooperating professor.
Jon C. Raimon
Coordinator of Community Studies
Humanities Teacher
Lehman Alternative Community School
111 Chestnut St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2126
(607) 272-7132
jraimon@twcny.rr.com
THE SCIENCENTER IS SEEKING NEW VOLUNTEERS
Opportunities include:
Tide pool docents - Guide visitors during their hands-on investigation of animals in the permanent tide pool touch tank exhibit. As part of the new Connect to the Ocean exhibition, this salt-water touch tank gives visitors a chance to touch and observe, close up, a variety of warm-water marine invertebrates.
Museum docents - Welcome and introduce visitors to the Sciencenter. Answer visitor questions about exhibits and guide exploration in the museum's Discovery Space.
Sciencenter volunteers enjoy working flexible hours in an energetic, family-friendly environment. Volunteers receive full orientation and training and have opportunities to grow with the organization. The Sciencenter welcomes volunteers regardless of whether they're science aficionados or not.
For more information, please contact Robyne Hamme, Museum Services Coordinator, at 607-272-0600 ext. 10 or rhamme@sciencenter.org . The Sciencenter is located at 601 First Street (off Route 13) in Ithaca.
ON-CAMPUS OPPORTUNITIES - don't have time to go far from home? Check these out!
LGBT RESOURCE ROOM IS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS!
Seeking current Ithaca College students interested in volunteering as student staffers for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans gender (LGBT) Resource Room. Student volunteers help make the LGBT Resource Room a great resource for the campus community. They provide assistance, resources, and a friendly face to visitors. Being a student volunteer is fun, and provides an opportunity to meet people andto become more familiar with resources on LGBT issues. Our past student volunteers have successfully used their experience to land jobs, internships, entrance to graduate school, and other opportunities after graduation. Last year, dedicated LGBT Resource Room student volunteers saw over 3,700 visitors pass through the door.
For an application or more information, please contact:
Lis Maurer, Coordinator
Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services
150 Hammond Health Center - Room B-14, side entrance to ground floor of Hammond Health
ph. 607.274.7394 http://www.ithaca.edu/lgbt
COMMUNITY EVENTS
ALTERNATIVES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
Help put money back in the pockets of working families ! Alternatives Federal Credit Union is seeking volunteers for its free tax preparation program, which runs from January to April. You'll learn valuable skills, make a marked difference in people's lives, and volunteer in a positive, well-managed environment. No prior experience is necessary: just a desire to learn how to prepare tax returns, help taxpayers access financial opportunities, or assist with the operation of the site. This volunteer opportunity is a great match for students interested in a variety of topics, including accounting, business, economics, social justice, community development, public policy, and counseling. Meaningful internships are also available. Visit www.alternatives.org to learn more, or contact Lindsey Lewis at 216-3471 or llewis@alternatives.org .
PVC PIPELINE - your source for student volunteerism on campus!
Next PVC Meeting: Sunday, February 11 at 1p.m. in the North Meeting Room!
Volunteer opportunities for the spring semester will be the focus of this meeting. Come with your planners! All are welcome!
Questions? Contact "Steph" ssimon1@ithaca.edu
