Civic Engagement Newsletter & Day of Service

Hello Everyone,

 

A couple of items we wanted to share with you today:

 

1. We have published our April edition of Civic Engagement News. Read about Husky Mentors, Multicultural Events, Alternative Spring Break 2010, Maine Campus Compact Awards and more. You can find our newsletter available at http://usm.maine.edu/studentlife/community/docs/OCE%20April%202010.pdf

 

2. The USM Day of Service is slowly creeping upon us this coming Friday. We have been working hard figuring out transportation, projects, breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything we can do to make this Day enjoyable for you and a great service to our community. If your not doing anything this Friday, consider participating in the Day of Service with a friend. I guarantee you will not regret this. Learn more about the projects and register right now at http://usm.maine.edu/studentlife/community/main/dos.html

 

Good luck with the homestretch of the academic year and I look forward to seeing you around campus and in the community,

 

- David

 

 

 

David Cimato

Volunteer and Leadership Coordinator

AmeriCorps VISTA

dcimato@usm.maine.edu

207-780-4209

 

"Print Less, think more"

 

MLK Day of Service

Dear Friends!

It is time to get moving with our big plans for the Martin Luther King Day of Service event. We are very excited to announce that we are doing a big project with our community partners The Telling Room and The Portland Housing Authority. We will be training USM students, members of the NAACP Youth Council and community members to run work shops at the Riverton and Kennedy Park study centers.

These workshops will be focused on creating 6-word memoirs and narratives, where individual youth will use the images, words or lessons of Dr. King to write their own 6 word story. All volunteers who go through the training will then volunteer a couple of evenings at either the Riverton or Kennedy Park centers towards the end of November or in early December.

For more info, come by the Farm house or go the following web page:

http://www.mlkday.gov/

Winter Kids Volunteering

Do you have an interest in outdoor winter activities and with working with children? This organization has lots of different events and on-going projects in need of volunteers.

check it out: http://www.winterkids.org/Development/

Another 1 Day Service Opportunity

The People's Regional Opportunity Program (PROP) is hosting a Giveaway Day on October 10th and we would like to send volunteers!!

From 10 am 'till 2 pm at the Parkside Neighborhood Center (85 Grant St., Portland) PROP will host the giveaway for community members to come and get anything from clothing to household items to books. It's a great chance to help put one of Portland's most active organizations and interact with the Parkside community.

If you are interested, just stop by the Community Engagement office on the Portland campus anytime!!

DaveB

September 11 - Day of Remembrance and Service

Portland, Maine – In April 2009, President Obama signed legislation establishing September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The hope is that citizens will pledge to do just one good deed during the week of 9/11. In this way, we honor those who so tragically passed while reaffirming our shared lives as a community. (Visit www.911day.org for more information about events nationwide.)

Here in Portland, Maine, we are honoring our country and those who died with a group service project with Hour Exchange Portland, the City of Portland, United Way and USM. There will be a clean-up/beautification effort of Deering Oaks Park open to anyone who wishes to get involved. Participants will clean-up the park and paint city garbage receptacles from 11am to 4pm. The City of Portland will distribute the garbage receptacles throughout the city. Tables will be set up to do ribbon writings for those lives lost on 9/11. The trash cans, paint and most other materials will be provided to us by the city of Portland.

WHO: Hour Exchange Portland, City of Portland, United Way, USM, and Community Volunteers.
WHERE: Deering Oaks Park bandstand in Portland, Maine.
WHAT: Remembrance Ceremony and Park beautification/clean up with city garbage receptacle painting.
WHEN: September 11, 2009, 11am - 4pm.

We made the Times!

There is an article on the NY Times webpage about about Americorps!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/us/07land.html?hp

As you will see, it is a bit more romantic than what most of us in Americorps experience, but its not a bad read. It also addresses the important question of "why serve" through the personal stories of a few of the volunteers.

Enjoy!
DaveB

United We Serve Day of Service 9/12 in Portland

Cant make it to the 9/11 day of service at Deering Oaks Park? Then checck this out:

"Spend the day in Portland helping Bayview Heights, one of our affordable housing complexes for low-income seniors in Portland. We're looking for help with the annual yard sale, including cashiers, help with set up and break down, and staffing the bake sale.

WHERE: Bayview Heights, 158 North Street, PORTLAND
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
DETAILS: Help staff the annual yard sale at Bayview Heights. We'll need help with setup and breakdown of the yard sale, cashiering, and the bake sale.
RSVP: Click here to RSVP "

Visit this link to see the opportunity and with who to contact for more questions: