BREAK!

Looking for service opportunities over the break? It will be slow, but not void of opportunities!

The Boys & Girls Club in Riverton is looking for volunteers to help with dinner set up and break down, gift wrapping and PLAYING! It's 3-6pm this Friday night, but if you can come for just one hour, that would be great! Call Tiffanie at 797-9048 or email her: tpanagakos@bgcmaine.org.

Monday, December 29th will be USM guest chef night at Ronald McDonald House.

The Wayside Soup Kitchen always needs people to help serve breakfasts or dinner. Let me know if you want to do this with some friends!

In January, we will be having a big Martin Luther King, Jr event on Saturday, the 17th. During this event, we'll be working with kids at the three Portland Housing Authority education centers to make art about dreams. FMI: rachel.church@maine.edu.

STRIVE will still be having their Friday night social dances, and you are more than welcome to come get dowwwn! FMI: courtney.babbidge@maine.edu.

Enjoy some time off and stay warm!

Amanda

PortSports + Wassail = <3

You are cordially invited to PortSports First Annual Holiday Wassailing Party!!

Please check out the link for event information and help spread the word!

http://www.portsportsmaine.com/events/portsports-first-annual

The Wayside Soup Kitchen has provided some facts about the local hunger problem:

• The typical American eats an average of one dinner per week at a restaurant at an average cost of $25.00 per meal.
• The average cost per meal at the Wayside Soup Kitchen is $1.77.
• Almost one in ten people in Maine is either hungry or worried about going hungry.
• From 2000 to 2005, Maine had had the highest increase in the country in the percentage of people who go hungry.
• One third of people in Maine on food stamps are working.
• A third of Maine workers do not earn a living wage.
• To avoid having to accept handouts, adults in many families go without food so their children can eat.
• 94,000 children in Maine are living in homes at risk of hunger.

Can’t attend but would like to donate food/money? Just contact Dave & Morgan Surkin:

Dave- dave@portsportsmaine.com

Morgan- morgan@portsportsmaine.com

Say It Loud!

Portland's Popular Youth Hip Hop Group is back on stage!

Say it Loud performing December 5th!

When: Friday, December 5th at 7pm

Where: Casco Bay High School

3rd Floor Dance Studio

196 Allen Avenue, Portland, ME

Over the past two months, students from Casco Bay High School have been writing their own lyrics to create original raps, songs and poetry as well as learning new dance moves and routines with help from Add Verb Productions' facilitating local artists, Chiara Liberatore, Saiyid Brent and Bruce Tracy.

Please come see all of their hard work and amazing talent showcased in a final performance reflecting this year's themes of “Relationships...Being Who I Am...Politics...and World Issues!”

Say it Loud! Is produced by Add Verb Productions Arts & Education - a Portland based organization that awakens community-based action and understanding of social issues through theatre, creative expression and dialogue. At the students' request, Casco Bay High School and Add Verb collaborated this summer and created the Say it Loud Hip Hop Club-to help young people express what matters to them most in a unique, positive and powerful way.

Donations and Drips

Ok, two things here.
Serious and fun.

Serious:

Amanda Grondin, a student who works in the Women's Resource Center, is hoping that you will help out this holiday season. She is asking for donations for Family Crisis Services in Portland.

Family Crisis Services is an organization that helps victims of domestic abuse. They have a wish list of simple items that the women and children in their shelter could really use.

All you need to do is take a look at the list, see if there is anything you would be willing to contribute, and then drop it off at the Women’s Resource Center in the Student Center in Portland, Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm.

***Due to health and sanitary reasons, all items must be new, please!***

If you have questions, please email Amanda.grondin@maine.edu.

Wish list:

Bedding:

Comforters

Blankets

Sheet sets

Mattress pads

Plastic mattress covers

Pillows

Crib sheets

Hygiene Items:

Tampons and pads

Shampoo and conditioner

Deodorant

Razors and shaving cream

Baby wipes

Household items:

Bath towels

Hand towels

Face towels

Cleaning supplies

Laundry detergent

Dryer sheets

Alarm clocks

Night lights

Clothing:

Winter jackets (all sizes)

Winter boots (all sizes)

PJ sets (all sizes)

Sweat suit sets (all sizes)

Underwear (all sizes)

Socks

Bras

Slippers

Kitchen items:

Pots/pans

Mixing bowls

Glasses

Kitchen towels

Crock pots

Coffee makers

Toasters

Hand mixers

Miscellaneous:

Umbrellas

Walmart/Target gift cards

Gas cards

Phone cards

Journals

Day planners

Movie passes

Children’s Museum passes

Thanks for your help!

And now, a fun thing:

We work in an old farmhouse. Slowly but surely, the antique windows and doors are being replaced. Our former front door would swell like crazy when it rained or was humid in the least, and a few days ago, our door was replaced with a shiny new one that looks just like the old!

Well.

Today, it's raining.

...THROUGH the new door.

Good times, folks.

You still have time to volunteer!

Did someone tell the world it can't be above freezing anymore? I thought we were going to get away with a balmy Thanksgiving!

The Office has been bustling and students are still doing great work, despite the pressures of impending finals!

We have a lot of new opportunities this week!


*Have a hand in cultural revival*
Fur Cultural Revival helps Sudanese immigrants navigate Portland, broaden the public's awareness of the Darfur genocide and preserve the cultural heritage of the Fur tribe. They need support in their office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as well as assistance with web design. For more information please contact Alicia Sampson at asampson@usm.maine.edu or 228-8092.

*Get Civic on the Back Cove*
Portland Trails is building a big greenway in Portland's Bayside neighborhood. They need input on their design, and they are seeking the input via a Public Comment forum. The day will include a trail walk, design presentation, a mapping exercise, and group work to sketch ideas. Refreshments will be provided following the trail walk. It's a great chance to shape how we use our city. The public comment forum is Saturday, November 22nd from 2:00 to 3:45pm at Zero Station, 222 Anderson Street. See the current design! Contact communtiy@usm.maine.edu for more info.

*Take a break from your level 80 Druid*
Portland Career Center and Sanford/Springvale CareerCenter (for those of you in that area) need some help with individuals coming in who do not have enough computer literacy to even use a mouse or fill out an online job application. So, give that avatar a break and help somebody
get a job and enter our modern computer world! Please contact Senja St. John at meartworks@yahoo.com, and remember to report those hours!

*Dance with STRIVE*
STRIVE would like to see students of USM volunteer any Friday evening
in South Portland 6-9pm for the weekly social and dance for 15-24 year olds with developmental and emotional disabilities. Please contact Courtney.e.babbidge@maine.edu for more information!

*Dinner at the Ronald McDonald House*
Monday, November 24th, Amanda will be headed over to the http://rmhportland.org/ at 4:30 to make a meal for the guests of the House. Please email her at avickerson@usm.maine.edu if you want to join!

*At Home In Maine Opens*
The Maine State Museum is celebrating the opening of a new exhibit titled "At Home In Maine." This exhibit is one of the largest created in the museum's history! The exhibit shows a cross-section of life from the 1800s to the 1960s through sights, sounds, and interactive displays. Go check out the summer kitchen, watch home movies in a 1960s living room, read about canning vegetables, and LEARN! For more info, email avickerson@usm.maine.edu.


Remember that this is only a brief view of what's going on in the Greater Portland area. Sites like VolunteerMatch and VolunteerMaine are great resources if you're looking for a place to give some time during this holiday season!

In fact, USM's Interfaith Office is sponsoring an Alternative Gift Fair in which students can give their time to some of our valued community partners. If you'd like more info, please email them at interfaith@usm.maine.edu. There will be a Holiday Celebration and Meal on Wednesday, December 10th. Come join the USM community during this time of festivities!

That's it for this week! Our next update will likely be in DECEMBER! EGADS!

Stay warm and have a lovely harvest feast!
Amanda

Ok, ok: For real.

Hey November.

You kinda snuck up on me, there. That's not very nice. Now you're telling me that Thanksgiving is right around the corner? Harsh, dude.

We have a lot of events soon! This is mostly copied from This Week In Service. Please excuse the redundancy.

H4H Giving Spree TOMORROW

Blood Drive

Volunteer at Riverton

Catholic Charities Maine

Wrapping Booth

Ring Some Bells

Multicultural Mentoring

Arsenic and Old Lace? Tea, anyone?

Habitat for Humanity Giving Spreeeee!

TOMORROW, November 15th.

Here’s how it works: people donate $5 to Habitat for Humanity and receive exclusive coupon booklets for the mall for the day. Here’s where you come in: Habitat needs you to sell the booklets of coupons. They’re looking for people for two hour shifts. For more info or to join in on the fun contact Rachel Putnam at rachel.a.putnam@maine.edu.

Red Cross is sponsoring a blood drive at USM on December 1st!

Want to volunteer or give blood?

Contact Courtney.e.babbidge@maine.edu to get involved!

Riverton Park Study Center needs YOU!

We are looking for a few USM students to help with homework once a week. If you like kids and/or homework (who doesn't, come on?), please let Mike know: mwilson@usm.maine.edu.

Connect with Refugees!

Catholic Charities Maine serves the refugee population of Greater Portland. Volunteer opportunities include working one-on-one with a single client helping them re-settle or providing one time service for several clients such as providing transportation to an appointment. Apply to be a volunteer today! For more information contact

asampson@usm.maine.edu.

It's time to get down and WRAP.

Habitat for Humanity and PROP are sponsoring a wrapping booth at the Mall this winter! If folding crisp edges and applying bows is your thing, contact rachel.a.putnam@miane.edu.

Ring-a-ling and Gobble.. eep.

The Salvation Army needs volunteers for not only bell-ringers, but also for packaging holiday baskets for families in the Greater Portland Area. Apply at the Salvation Army on Cumberland Ave in Portland across from Portland High School or email courtney.e.babbidge@maine.edu.

Did you know USM has a Multicultural Peer Mentoring program?

Yes, we do! Come talk with other students about the challenges faced by multicultural students. Give an hour a week to support fellow USM students in their transition to the collegiate environment. Contact Alicia at asampson@usm.maine.edu or 228-8092.

The Underground Ladies' Tea & Arsenic Society

There is a cool new group on campus that sips tea and has intense personal, political, and fabulous discussions on a wide array of topics! Whether it's beading and body image, knitting and the workplace, or origami and elections, it's always a great opportunity to relax and chat with smart people about social issues! The next meeting is Wednesday, November 19th at noon. Meetings are in the Woodbury Campus Center. All are welcome!

That's it, folks.

Upcoming events:

USM’s annual DRAG SHOW is next Friday, the 21^st!

Dinner at the Ronald McDonald House on Monday, the 24^th.

US Thanksgiving Thursday, the 27^th.

DECEMBER IS RIGHT AROUND THE BEND!

Let’s hope I don’t go off the deep end before then.

Butternut love,

Amanda

Winter's a-comin'!

Happy Halloween!

We have had a busy time of it these past few weeks! The VISTAs were at a training at Rockcraft lodge in Sebago, Maine; people became aware of the Acholi plight; houses were winterized; dinner was cooked at Ronald McDonald House; and everybody made it out smiling!

Election day is coming QUICKLY, and the Office encourages you to get out and vote: Come on people, shake your booty, vote and do your civic duty! If you need to find your polling place, Google has an awesome tool!

No matter what you believe, this week has a lot of celebrations happening. I hope you were able to enjoy one of the many festivites!

Welcome, November!

Amanda