East Carolina University.
A P i rat e ’s G uide to
Service
Tomorrow starts here.
A publication of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center
Countdown to the Million Meal Event
2010 Excellence in Service Awards
In just 120 days, on August 28, 2010, East Carolina University and the Greenville community will participate in the 2010 University Million Meal Event. The Million Meal Event, a collaboration between Stop Hunger Now and North Carolina colleges and universities, puts volunteers to work packaging one million nutritious meals for individuals facing food insecurity world-wide.
The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC) recognized outstanding student volunteers at their annual volunteer recognition event on April 20, 2010. TRIPS leaders, Pirate Playtime leaders, Peer Counselors, and ECU~READS coordinators were among the nearly 125 exemplary volunteers recognized. The Excellence in Service individual award was presented to Allen Thomas. The Excellence in Service group awards were presented to Phi Sigma Pi and the Pirate Tutor Crew.
In the last two years, it has quickly become one of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center’s largest annual events. More than 600 students, faculty, staff and community members participate. In order to keep this exciting opportunity available into the future, the ECU location must reach our 2010 fundraising goal. Every meal packaged on August 28 will cost 25¢. At the ECU location we are scheduled to package 170,000 meals, which equates to a fundraising goal of more than $40,000. Reaching this goal requires a collaborative effort, and the VSLC encourages all our constituents to sponsor meals, most of which will be distributed in areas of Haiti affected by the earthquake. Donations go a long way—$10 provides 40 meals! Donations can be made online at www.stophungernow.org, or by calling the VSLC at 252-328-2735.
Allen Thomas completed more than 100 hours with Operation Freedom-NC, a statewide domestic violence and prevention organization working to eradicate domestic violence. Allen’s service included public speaking to raise awareness of domestic violence, creating a public service announcement, and planning community events. Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity sponsored the 2nd annual Greenville Krispy Kreme Challenge supporting JDRF. In two years, they have raised more than $5,000. The 186 members of the Pirate Tutor Crew served as academic role models for students who needed assistance with beginning course work. Tutor Crew volunteers served an average of 6-12 hours per month.
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Volunteer Spotlight Jade Shields
American Red Cross Blood Services Summer Volunteer Tips
Calendar of VSLC Upcoming Events
A Pirate’s Guide to Service Page 2
East Carolina University
Volunteer Spotlight
Spotlight on Jade Shields Jade Shields (left) was the 2009/2010 program coordinator for Pen Friends. As the program coordinator, Jade volunteered 300 hours. She will return to the VSLC as a program coordinator for ECU~READS during the 2010/2011 academic year. How did you get involved with Pen Friends? I became involved with Pen Friends during it’s pilot semester in spring of 2009. I was a volunteer for ECU~READS and found out about Pen Friends from the 2008/2009 ECU~READS coordinator, Allison Stephens.
Describe Pen Friends. Pen Friends is a pen-pal program, where ECU students are paired with elementary school students at participating schools. They write letters to each other each week over the course of 7-10 weeks based on various topics. How do you think Pen Friends benefits students at Wahl-Coates and Eastern Elementary schools? I believe that Pen Friends benefits students at Wahl-Coates and Eastern by giving them access to a population (college students) that they may not come into contact with often. It also gives the students an older friend to talk to and a fun way to enhance writing skills. Why did you take a leadership role with Pen Friends, and what does the position involve? I took the leadership role with Pen Friends because I felt it would be a great experience for me. The position involves the management of almost 200 volunteers participating in Pen Friends, [and] corresponding with the participating teachers at Wahl-Coates and Eastern Elementary. [It also involves] reading and gathering the letters from ECU students each week, and preparing them for drop off at Wahl-Coates and Eastern, and distributing the returning letters from the elementary school students. What do ECU students learn from participation in Pen Friends? ECU students learn how easy it is to impact the life of a child and that even the slightest interaction has the potential to have a lasting impact on them. Share any funny stories from your year. It’s always cute to see how into the program the ECU students are. I had several volunteers this spring semester who forgot about Pitt County Schools spring break, and were absolutely heartbroken not to have a letter waiting for them. How could students volunteer or help Pen Friends in the future? Students can volunteer and commit to writing letters to elementary schools students or donate materials such as pencils, stickers, markers and construction paper. Share any other important comments/stories. ECU Pen Friends is a great program that allows students to volunteer even with hectic schedules, and have a positive influence on a child. To find out more about the Pen Friends program, visit the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center in the Old Cafeteria Complex.
“A single act does make a difference... it creates a ripple effect that can be felt many miles and people away.” --Lee J. Colan
New Volunteer Projects East Carolina University
American Red Cross Blood Services
A Pirate’s Guide to Service Page 3
The mission of the American Red Cross (ARC) blood services division is to maintain a safe and stable blood supply—a difficult and never-ending task when someone requires a blood transfusion every two seconds, and only 3 out of every 100 Americans donate blood. ECU and our local ARC blood services division have a long standing and successful partnership. Pirates donate nearly 3,000 units of blood product annually at on campus blood drives. Those numbers are the reason ECU received two awards in recent years,
for the largest first-time blood drive, and the college-campus award for the mid-Atlantic region. These awards represent the hard work of hundreds of campus donors, campus blood drive sponsors, the ECU Blood Committee, and the staff from our local ARC blood services division. But we must keep growing to meet the blood needs of the mid-Atlantic region. You’ve seen the blood drive signs, the bloodmobile, and you may have even seen a my blood runs purple and gold T-shirt—now its time to get out and volunteer as a blood donor. When asked why they haven’t donated blood, most people say, “I’ve never thought about it.” Remember blood cannot be manufactured. Healthy donors are the only resource we have to replenish our blood supply and save lives. So when large scale blood drives resume on campus in the fall, think about it. It only takes about an hour to donate, you get free cookies, and a successful donation is worth 5 volunteers hours with the VSLC. Student organizations, residence halls, and individuals can also co-sponsor blood drives, and participate together in large scale drives like the ECU vs. NC State blood drive. For more information on how and when to donate, or to sponsor a drive, contact the VSLC at vslc@ecu.edu or 252-328-2735.
Summer Volunteer Tips It doesn’t matter where you’re spending your summer—the mountains, the beach, or right here at ECU—volunteer opportunities exist in every community. In many cases, volunteers are in greater demand during the summer months. In Greenville, many of our after school programs operate full day programs when schools aren’t in session. Organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, who have lots of volunteers to cook meals during the academic year, is looking for groups and individuals to cook dinner’s for their families. Blood donors are also in high demand during the summer months, as are coaches, mentors, and volunteers willing to visit with the elderly. So how do you find these opportunities? And how do you track your hours? If you are in Greenville, your first stop should be the VSLC. Our staff can help you find a volunteer opportunity that matches your interests and schedule. If you aren’t in Greenville, check out your local United Way, or search on the Websites listed below. These sites allow you to search for opportunities by keyword and zip code. www.idealist.org. www.volunteermatch.org. www.serve.gov. If you’re interested in travelling and volunteering at the same time, you can find trips at: www.sierraclub.org www.habitat.org www.crossculturalsolutions.org Whatever you do, be sure to record your volunteer hours and report them to the VSLC. Timesheets are available at www.ecu.edu/vslc under the student tab. You can e-mail, fax, or snail mail them to the Center, or turn them in when you return to campus. Happy volunteering!
Don’t forget, volunteer sign up for the 2010 Million Meal event will occur June through August. For more information visit the VSLC Web page.
Calendar of Upcoming Events
A Pirate’s Guide to Service Page 4
Blood Drives Tuesday, May 25, times TBA Blood Bus at Christenbury Gym Campus Kitchen Wednesday, May 19 from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. To sign up visit the link below: http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/47-622248858119. Volunteers will prepare food, deliver and serve it at the Little Willie Center. Pitt County AIG Bowling Night Monday, May 24. 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Contact Beth Webb at 252-561-6450 or broadhe.pact@pitt.k12.nc.us. Volunteers will supervise children ages 8-11, and can bowl at no cost. Campus Kitchen Tuesday, June 1 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. To sign up visit the link below: http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/47-622248858119. Volunteers will cook a meal in the Todd Dining Hall kitchen for future delivery to the Little Willie Center.
PirateFest Volunteers April 10, 2010
River Jam Saturday, June 12, 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Contact Kelly Jochim at Kelly@ptrf.org. Volunteers are needed to assist with event management. Victory Junction Gang Camp Sunday, June 13 until Thursday, June 17 Contact Claire Rutan at 336-495-2016 or crutan@victoryjunction.org. Volunteers will serve as family hosts, program chiefs (arts and crafts, boating, stables, etc.) and kitchen staff.
Blood Donation Fact 1 pint of blood can save up to 3 lives. Give the gift of life-become a donor today!
Additional volunteer opportunities are available online at: www.ecu.edu/cs-studentlife/volunteer/calendar.cfm.
Source: American Red Cross
Volunteer and Service-Learning Center Old Cafeteria Complex 252-328-2735 (phone) 252-328-0139 (fax) www.ecu.edu/vslc vslc@ecu.edu Shawn Moore, Community Partner Coordinator Jessica Gagne Cloutier, Service-Learning Coordinator Michael Loeffelman, Volunteer Coordinator Judy Baker, Institutional and Community Development Consultant Kimberly Caudle, AmeriCorps*Vista Members
April/May Edition 2010