Eastern: Doing a Bloody Good Job!

Earlier this month, Eastern held yet another blood drive and we collected 164 units of blood! Great job to anyone who gave (or tried to give) their blood! You've helped save lives!

Here are the numbers from last year's blood drives:

• October Drive: 166 Units
• December Drive: 108 Units
• February Drive: 132 Units
• April Drive: 121 Units
• Total: 527 Units
• Those units from last year add up to about 10% of Eastern students giving blood, which has earned us a Silver Award from the Red Cross!

Keep it up, donors!

Also, Check out the article about the Red Cross Blood Drive on campus:
Eastern is acquiring a state-wide reputation of being bighearted in service to our community.  One way to do this is to support the American Red Cross blood drives which take place four times during the academic year.  Students, faculty, and staff generously donate the gift of life on a regular basis.  Residence Halls become involved with blood donations in a friendly competition called the Dean’s Cup. The hall with the highest number of donations, along with other requirements, will be eligible to win this coveted trophy for the year.

“When I first donated blood, it was my freshman year at Eastern and I was hoping to overcome a lifelong fear of needles.  Looking back now, I do it out of fairness to others; I would want someone to be willing to donate blood if I needed it and I should be doing the same.  The process is easy-going, the nurses and staff have always been friendly to me.  The pancakes are great!”  Shannon Ellis, 2011 Graduate
Eastern’s first blood drive of the year took place on Monday, October 10th and Tuesday, October 11th generating a total of 164 productive pints.  We could not have had such a successful blood drive without the help of the 29 student volunteers who donated 62 hours of their time to do check-ins and provide refreshments at the canteen.  The aroma of the made-to-order pancakes, given to our donors, permeates the Student Center on the days we host a drive.

Future drives at Eastern are scheduled for:
December 5-6, 2011  10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. BTR
February 6 – 7, 2012  10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. BTR
April 17, 2012   9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. BTR

Appointments can be made online at www.givelife.org sponsor code Eastern, or by contacting Irene Cretella at 860-465-0090, cretellai@easternct.edu.

Looking for an adventure?!

Want to help others while working outdoors? Sign up today for the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) to PA, where we will be doing trail maintenance and volunteering in a soup kitchen. There is also ziplining and hiking in our free time! Applications available in Wood 205 or from scherberk@easternct.edu




Camille at 2011 ASB in Virginia

 

Why Should I Volunteer?

There are benefits to being a volunteer! Check 'em out...


1. Boost your career options!

• Does your resume need some help? Upgrade your resume by adding some volunteer experience to it.
• While volunteering, you can learn valuable job skills and gain experience in your field. For example, if you are a Psychology major who wants to do go into counseling, working at a local shelter might be able to provide you with that type of experience.
• 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without.
•  94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills .
•  94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted.

2. Volunteering can be good for your mind and body!

• Volunteering can give you a sense of pride and identitiy! It can provide a healthy boost to your self-esteem and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment.
• There are volunteer options that can benefit your body? Yeah, check out our trail maintenance opportunities, where you can hike and volunteer at the same time! Also keep your eye out for Town Pride, Town Wide, which often requires lots of yard work and digging!

3. Connect with others!

• Ever heard of the "college bubble?" Living on campus can be isolating! Service work can connect you with people from local agencies and students from other schools!
• Diversity is key! Volunteering can connect you with a diverse range of people, such as those who are different ages and people from different financial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Connect with your community. Have you ever thought of everything that your community has provided for you? Food, employment, enjoyment and more. Do you want to give back?

These are just a few of the benefits that volunteering provides! If you are inspired to get involved, contact scherberk@easternct.edu or cavab@easternct.edu to check out our volunteer opportunities!

Sources can be found here and here!

How are Eastern Volunteers Doing?

They are doing outstanding!

 

The CCE has calculated volunteer hours for the quarterly report and this is what we've gotfor the month of September:

• 305.5 hours performed by 105 students
• 26.5 Hours performed by 7 students in service learning courses
• 84.5 Hours performed by 4 work study students

GREAT JOB! Each volunteer has made a positive impact on our community. Keep it up! We have had even more programs and volunteer opportunities for the month of October, so stay tuned to find out how much we will improve from September to October!

 

Do you want to lend a helping hand? Contact cavab@easternct.edu or scherberk@easternct.edu to see what volunteer opportunities we've got for you!

Former CCE student worker makes the news!

Jackie Bishop, who was one of our very own student workers here at the Center for Community Engagement, has made the news! Jackie is now a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) at Manchester Community College. While managing the school's farmer's market on weekend, she was approached by a reporter from the Manchester Patch.

Check out the article here! Patch.com Article

Internship Opportunity!- Billings Forge

Billings-Forge is offering internships for next semester!

First, what is Billings-Forge?

Billings Forge Community Works is a non-profit organization in the Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford that replaces disinvestment with investment, offers education and training, and creates a shared sense of mission that underscores the belief that a good place to live goes beyond simply four walls and a roof – it also requires a strong, vibrant, and authentic community. Specific goals of BFCW include:

• fighting homelessness by improving housing opportunities for families and individuals in the Frog Hollow community,
• encouraging economic growth through business and enterprise development in the neighborhood surrounding the Billings Forge complex,
• the creation of job training, educational advancement, and employment opportunities for Frog Hollow residents,
• strengthening family health and vitality through education, counsel, and access to services,
• encouraging self help, civic engagement, and participation in every level of our community, and
• supporting a climate that values diversity, rewards independence, nourishes creativity, and brings all of us together.

They are offering internships for two different time slots: January 16-March 25 and April 2-May 25. This internship is located at Billings-Forge in Hartford and involves working with children in an afterschool program. These children, in grades 5 through 8, come primarily from the Burns School, which focuses on latino studies and is right around the corner from Billings-Forge. The after school program includes different activities including academics, art and gardening, among other things. As an intern, you would be helping out with the after school program during the week. Billings-Forge is flexible about the internship position and is willing to allow an intern to put their own spin on the opportunity!

If you are interested in this position, please click the links below to learn more about Billings-Forge, and then contact Brit Cava at cavab@easternct.edu !

Billings Forge a Success Story in Urban Redevelopment

Billings Forge Brings Fresh Food to Frog Hollow

Billings Forge Press Release