Ciao Ciao Servistas!

Today is my last day at the Center for Urban Connections. Its been a positive, growing experience for almost two years. As the main blogger for the office, the blog has been one of my main responsibilities and its been great to expand my writing style and understand true blog speak.

Fear brings out the unknown in everyone and because it is so unexpected  the overall nervous feelings that you have, can make you not want to take the risk. From not being afraid of stepping out, I have seen that  change, brings happiness and it allows you to have  become your own explorer in life.

Its been a great experience writing for the blog and finding out more articles about community engagement and volunteering that are interesting to me and other Metro State students.

My hope is that with every blog, you can think about ways to change your thoughts of engaging with the community and especially change that which can open your eyes. Volunteering has helped me as a person understand my passions, and its essentially part of why I worked at the Center for Urban Connections.

I leave you all with two quotes,

Keep constantly in mind in how many things you yourself have witnessed changes already. The universe is change, life is understanding. - Marcus Aurelius 

Life's most urgent question is.... what are you doing for others? - Martin Luther King Jr. 

Have you heard about the MLK Peace Breakfast 2012?!

Martin Luther King Day is celebrated as a day to remember that justice and peace did occur, but we need peaceful, justice motivated and compassionate leaders in our community. For the past couple of years, Metro State has had the MLK Peace Breakfast to honor students, staff and faculty/ and community member(s) who advocate and are committed to social justice and helping this community. These individuals are chosen by their overall activism, involvement and dedication to what they do in the community. These leaders continue to inspire others to be community activists.  

If you would like to nominate someone who inspires you with community activism, please do so by this Wednesday, November 30^th, 2011. Go to: www.mscd.edu/mlk . 

and find out all the specifics of nominating, including an option to use an on-line submission form (new this year!). If you would like to submit a hard copy, you still can but make sure to follow all instructions on the website.

This year's theme, is Coming of Age: Solidifying the Dream .If you’re interested in attending the breakfast, here are all of the details!

Date: Friday, January 13, 2012

Time: 8:30am-10:30am

Where: Tivoli Turnhalle 

Tickets will go on sale December 5th, 2011. This year, you can reserve and purchase a table for your office or individual department. 

What do you think makes a good community activist? Tell us your thoughts and nominate someone today! http://www.mscd.edu/mlk

Denver Rescue Mission In Need of Extra Turkeys!!

I always look forward to Thanksgiving and a much needed break from school. Every year I try to think of something I am thankful of, but it can be a challenge because I am truly thankful for so much. In particular, I am thankful for family, friends, yoga and food.  Food is such a vital part of human existence that if we are without it, it is very hard to get anything accomplished. 

The Denver Rescue Mission offers services that help provide individuals with basic needs so that they are able to be self sufficient. They provide services to:  men, single mothers and their children, basic clothing, food items, transitional housing, an overnight shelter, family-based programming and an education and career service center. Through these services, a great need in the community is met.

Every Thanksgiving, a Great Thanksgiving Banquet is given for all individual who are in need of a meal. Along with receiving a beautiful, sustaining meal on this day, all guests will receive a hat, gloves and scarf set. This is such a great event, but sadly this year there aren’t enough turkeys to make their goal of approximately 20,000.  The Denver Rescue Mission is still looking for individuals who can donate 12 lbs. or larger turkeys for this year’s banquet. 

If you would like to donate a turkey, please help by going to the Denver Rescue Mission by Wednesday, November 23^rd and bring a turkey(s) to their address 1130 Park Avenue West, Denver, CO 80205.

This will give an individual or a family a happy and joyful start to the holiday season and they will be provided with a warm, wonderful meal and a couple of essential items, the day before Thanksgiving.  If you have any questions, please go to the Denver Rescue Mission’s website: http://www.denverrescuemission.org/.

Have you ever volunteered on Thanksgiving Day to serve homeless individuals or provided holiday volunteer work? Comment below on our blog and let us know your experience!

November Food and Clothing Drive!

I always feel like this time of the year, it’s great to cleanse and start out fresh for a new year. One of the many ways to start fresh is to give away un-used items. We all may have a little clutter in our life, but we all can give something to someone else, to feel good and give back to the community.

This November, two Metro Students Alli Tellez and Patrick Seamars are doing just that, by coordinating a Clothing and Food Drive for the holiday season.
Did you know that 39 percent of individuals doing a survey for Feeding America.org said that they have to choose a meal over paying for rent? The Clothing and Food Drive goes from today until Saturday, November 19th, 2011. All collected donations will be given to the Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver. They hope to collect 40,000 or more items which would be 1 item collected for each student, staff and faculty at Metro State.

All items are beneficial to individuals in need and help them stay warm.
The following items are ones that the Food Bank of the Rockies need. To drop off items, please go to the PE Building Room 110 (the Fitness Center) or our office, the Center for Urban Connections in Tivoli 243. Those who donate can enter for a chance to win things like Comedy Works tickets, Outdoor Adventure vouchers and much more!

Items that are needed are: Clothes, Jackets, Shoes, Toys, Canned foods, Rice, Fruit Cups, Granola Bars, Box dinner or lunches, Ramen Noodles, Peanut butter & jelly, Snacks/ on-the-go foods, and Crackers. Please bring non-perishable goods only, please.

Want something fun, educational and a great resume builder for next semester?
The Urban Leadership Program is now accepting student applications until November 18th, 2011.
The Urban Leadership Program integrates the study of leadership balanced with service learning to form leaders through mentoring, workshops, and volunteering. Students work with their fellow classmates to better understand service learning through the classroom and actual experience.

Metro State Students are eligible for up to 500 dollars each semester. It’s a great program to learn how to network with local businesses, civic leaders and the nonprofit community. Additional information about this program can be found at their website, www.mscd.edu/president/ulp .

Have you participated in a food drive with a nonprofit organization? Share your experience by commenting below!

CVA Painting Duel Event

One of our service opportunities for this year’s 1B/1P/2T book selection, Enrique’s Journey was to volunteer at the Center for Visual Arts; (CVA) an off-campus art gallery of Metro State’s art department that gives students the feel of an urban learning culture along with a strong sense of community within Denver’s art scene.


Volunteers helped our office, Arts Street and VSA/Access Gallery to give local teens the opportunity to make art with thought and emotion around the topic of “immigration.”




The funds raised at this event went to Clinica Tepeyac, a nonprofit health care clinic who provides health care to medically underserved individuals. All of the donations at this event went to a mural in the children’s waiting area of Clinica Tepeyac.



Did you volunteer at the CVA Painting Duel event or another one of our Enrique’s Journey service opportunities? Let us know your experience at the event!

Colorado Gives Day 2011

Have you ever wanted to donate to an organization you volunteer for, but you’re not sure how to go about it? This year on Tuesday December 6th, Colorado Gives Day is happening! This 24 hour online event was created to ‘give to where you live’ making it simple to donate to nonprofit organizations in Colorado!

Colorado Gives Day was created to conserve and develop life in Colorado by forming a one-day event of online philanthropy. If you look on their website, http://www.givingfirst.org/cogivesday/, you can search for specific charities, types of causes, and nonprofits in your neighborhood. Last year, Colorado Gives Day, gave a whopping 8.7 million dollars in donations to local Colorado nonprofits. Please do not forget to visit their blog, where you can learn more and find out about the organization that sponsors Colorado Gives Day, Giving First.org: http://givingfirstblog.blogspot.com/.


What Colorado nonprofit organization would you like to donate to this year? Let us know by commenting below! Can’t think of an organization to donate to? Stop by our office in Tivoli 243 and take a look at our binders.

Paying It Forward: How Positive Social Impact Changes Metro Athletes

It is great to see such a positive impact that many of the Athletes here at Metro State have been able to give. We love to see our Metro Students volunteering out in the community, so that’s why I want all readers to find out about what The Metro State Women’s and Men’s Basketball teams are doing. Both basketball teams have been heavily involved in giving back and service learning throughout the years. Did you see this article in the Metro News Room about their involvement? If not, check it out! http://www.mscd.edu/~collcom/artman/publish/goldcrown_twv9102411.shtml

I’m highlighting two awesome organizations that our Women’s & Men’s Basketball teams have volunteered for: Habitat for Humanity and the Gold Crown Foundation.

Did you know that Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver was the first affiliate in all of Colorado? Well it all started back in 1979. Did you know that in Colorado alone there are 42 Habitat for Humanity affordable houses? They have a great program that serves as a partnership with Crowley County Correctional Faculty and helps inmates learn about construction and provide a wide range of skills so that when they look for a job, they have a skill set. They learn how to do basic woodworking for example how to make a cabinet or countertop. If you are interested in volunteering with your local affiliate in Colorado go to: http://www.habitatcolorado.org/get-involved.html for more information.


Another great organization our Student Athletes have supported is The Gold Crown Foundation is a public charity that helps to provide sports programs and enrichment for youth in Colorado. Gold Crown was the first in Colorado to see there were few opportunities for girls to be involved in sports. At the time, nothing like that was being talked about. So, they decided to take a risk and create their own middle school program back in ‘94. In just 17 years they: created girls basketball camps, added a field house, a baseball all-star park, formed volleyball and junior golf programs, fully grew to year round basketball programs, and now provide technology and art classes. I think it’s really cool that they offer scholarship programs to future participants to make sure everyone gets a chance to be involved in sports! Since 2008, there have been more than 35,000 opportunities for girls and boys to provide sports programs like basketball, golf, lacrosse and volleyball. If you are interested in learning how to get involved with Gold Crown, please contact them by going to their website: http://www.goldcrownfoundation.com.


Have you ever volunteered for a non-profit that provides sports programs to kids? Or have you worked with Habitat for Humanity? Post your volunteer experience under comments on our blog!

Events This Week for Enrique's Journey

You may have seen flyer's around campus for Enrique's Journey or even participated in a book discussion, but just in case you have not there are a bunch of events going on this week that include the author of Enrique's Journey Sonia Nazario as the 2011 Richard T. Castro Distinguished Visiting Professor. Here is a list of free events that are happening on campus and at the Center for Visual Arts.

Tuesday, October 18th at 6:00pm - Sonia Nazario Reception at the Center for Visual Arts

Wednesday, October 19th at 9:00am- Charla y Cafe 9:00am at the Rodger Braun Lounge( Tivoli 201)

Wednesday, October 19th at 11:00am- Sonia Nazario Keynote at St. Cajetans

Wednesday, October 19th at 2:00pm- Book Discussion with Sonia Nazario at Rodger Braun Lounge ( Tivoli 201)

Thursday, October 20th at 2:00pm- Journalist Panel with Sonia Nazario & Tina Griego at Tattered Cover ( 16th Street Mall)

Thursday, October 20th, at 6:00pm- Enrique's Journey Despidida Reception with Sonia Nazario

If you would like to comment or provide feedback for us about this week's Sonia Nazario events, please do on here or on our Facebook.


Thanks so much!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Weekly service learning/ engagement updates

Hey there Servistas,

Here's another week of service learning/ engagement updates. Have a great week!

Keep An Engaged Community & Love Service- http://tinyurl.com/62j5cud

Copenhagen Gas Stations Evolve Into Bike- Friendly Stations- http://tinyurl.com/3rs3xdd

The Girl Effect: Inspire Young Girls, Change The World-
http://tinyurl.com/3z8fg6l




Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

weekly service learning/engagement updates

Hey there Servistas,

This is our second week of doing current service learning/ community engagement articles and short term volunteer opportunities. Please comment and let me know any new media articles that you find or local volunteer opportunities, and we will put them on this blog!


'Be the Change' National Service Day draws 100 to volunteer in Austin-
http://tinyurl.com/3hp8a9v


Local Step dancing fundraiser helps to award 15 girls with college scholarships- http://tinyurl.com/6byjal3

Clinica Tepeyac former client, shares story about how she became the new medical director- >http://tinyurl.com/677hk3b

One urban gardener turns Abandoned Homes into Abundant Gardens, Detroit locals making a livings off of micro-farming. http://tinyurl.com/3qwe9g3

How a Volunteer Yogi's practice made her feel more enlightened - http://tinyurl.com/6958ayx

Recycled School in Guatemala shows kids how to think sustainable-http://tinyurl.com/3gxjr7j

An outsider's perspective on why its essential to become involved through volunteering, in college http://tinyurl.com/5tj4qkw

Local college students connect to homeless through writing class- http://tinyurl.com/6fn2m9a


Short Term Volunteer Opportunities

What: Women's Bean Project

When: Thursday October 13th- 22nd, 2011

Where: Various Locations in Denver Metro Area

Volunteer Description and Duties: Your role at this event is to make sales and share information about the Women's Bean Project. Last year we sold more than 100,000 in offsite sales and this was largely due to sales at volunteer-staffed events. E-mail DianaL@womensbeanproject.org to sign up!



Happy Servicing!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

weekly service learning/engagement/volunteer opportunities updates

Starting this week, I will be doing a weekly post where you can find links about current service learning/ engagement articles. Here are a couple for this week:

Social Change Statistics from Walden College- http://tinyurl.com/3nt37y5

Is the PeaceCorps right for you? http://tinyurl.com/44w44pu

New engagement opportunity for AARP seniors ,ExpierenceCorps- http://tinyurl.com/3ez3zmp

House Painted Hot Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness- http://tinyurl.com/3w3vxld


Short Term Volunteer Opportunities



What: Run the Rocks

When: October 15th & 16th,2011

Where: Red Rocks Amphitheater

Volunteer Description: The American Lung Association is working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health in all its forms. Run the 'Rocks is a walk/run challenge matched with electrifying musical reverb at the world-famous amphitheatre crafted by Mother Nature herself.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Alia Thobani at mscd-volunteer@mscd.edu or 303-556-2595


What: Trick or Treat Street

When: October 29th,30th,31st,2011

Where: The Children's Museum
2121 Children’s Museum Drive
Denver, CO 80211

Volunteer Description: It's time for one of the cutest and most fun-filled events of the year! We need energetic volunteers to help with this large, spooktacular event, including Monster Carnival attendants, stroller valet, Treat House attendants, arts and crafts facilitators and more!

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Alia Thobani at mscd-volunteer@mscd.edu or 303-556-2595


If you have any questions, please come to our office in Tivoli 243 or at (303) 352-7129.


Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Service Corps Alums Expected to Have Great Jobs

A new article by a leading website of online jobs says that individuals who have completed an AmeriCorps service program will be able to receive top positions at their place of employment.

Just last week, Monster collaborated with such companies as The Corps Network, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundations to hire Service Corps( formerly known as our UCAN Serve program) alumni graduates across America.


Their goal for the next few years, is to place 25,000 Service Corps Alumni's with top position jobs. Approximately 100,000 young individuals graduate from Service Corps programs per year, where experience goes from the environmental to women's health issues.

This new collaboration offers great hope for individuals who are in the ServiceCorps program, or who are about to graduate from it.

To read the full article, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/3gq4th8
Thanks for reading!

Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Sonia Nazario Events at 1 Book/ 1 Project / 2 Transform

Although our 1 Book/1 Project/2 Transform slots have been filled, we still have many great events with Sonia Nazario,author of Enrique's Journey and this year's selection for the Richard T. Castro Professorship.We hope to see you at the following events!

October 13th-30th- Enrique's Journey Play, Thursday-Sunday @ 7:00pm at Su Teatro. 721 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204. $20 General Admission/ $17 Students/Seniors. For more information about Enrique's Journey at Su Teatro, please visit: http://martinezled.com/enriques-journey-2/

October 12th- Which Way Home Documentary, Tivoli 320 A @ 3:30pm

October 19th- Sonia Nazario Keynote, St. Cajetans @ 11:00am

For more information on these events please visit our website www.mscd.edu/urbanconnect/events/ or visit our office in Tivoli 243.


Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

A interesting way to learn about volunteering in Denver

Hey there Servistas!

Are you ever curious about how many people volunteer in our city ? Well if you are, you might be surprised to know that Denver non-profits provide great retention to volunteers and contribute the most to educational non-profits in our community. I found a great statistical resource that provides yearly statistics from the Corporation for National & Community Service. What they are bringing to our community helps to give a greater understanding of the volunteer need and inspire individuals to take action and further engage in our city. For much more information about the statistics about volunteering from 2010 please go to http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/CO.

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Center for Urban Connections

Join our Metro State Light the Night team & Give Hope!

Metro State President Stephen Jordan invites faculty, staff and students to take steps to cure cancer by joining the Metro State team for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk 2011. This annual two-mile fundraising walk honors lives affected by cancer, multiplying fundraising efforts by teams and individuals in more than 200 communities across the U.S. and Canada.

The funds that are raised for this walk go toward lifesaving research, awareness and support for those who battle blood cancers. Metro State’s Team goal is to raise 5,280 dollars and join the Top Fundraisers Club. This year’s walk will be held at Washington Park on September 22nd at 7:30pm.


To Sign up or find out more information, please visit our events page on the Center for Urban Connections website,www.mscd.edu/urbanconnect



Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Thanks to all who helped with the Women's Business Forum

Hello Servistas!


Our center would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who helped with last week's Women's Business Forum! Last Tuesday's forum in St. Cajetans, hosted Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Diana Degette, was designed to be an engaging think tank to provide women with the opportunity to discuss and present ideas and improvements within the small business sector. From a engineering company to child care center, individual interests were similar, strongly mentioning the decrease in taxes and capitol loans. There was a heavy emphasis placed on the expansion of jobs, and a confident hope that rebuilding a community, such as our country will happen soon. To read more about this event, please click on these links: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_18791893 and for the MetReport's article go to: http://www.metnews.org/news/pelosi-speaks-at-metro/.


Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Project Homeless Connect '11: A Great Success!

This year's Project Homeless Connect 2011 was held at the Colorado Convention Center. Over 1,000 volunteers participated at this one-stop stop event, where such services like birth certificates,job assistance, basic health care, food stamps, legal aid & homeless court, community resources, housing, and individual self care. This event provides simple, sustainable services that homeless individuals can receive, while being helpful tools to assist them out of poverty. This year, Denver's Road Home collaborated by bringing volunteers from KPMG LLP and Beta Alpha Psi to create a wonderful community of like minded individuals working to create change for homeless individuals in Denver. For a full video on this year's Project Homeless Connect, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/67lecc2

For more information on Project Homeless Connect, please check out Denver's Road Home go to: http://www.denversroadhome.org/ or to find out more information on our office, the Center for Urban Connections please come into Tivoli 243 or go to www.mscd.edu/urbanconnect.

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Metro State students volunteer for youth summer camp, develops a community collaboration

This summer, Metro State's Journey Through Our Heritage Program reached out to a close & local population surrounding Metro's community, the La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood.They formed a program in this neighborhood, after learning that the La Alma pool was going to be closed for the summer, giving many kids in that neighborhood minimal activities to do during that time.

Metro students planned a 6 week program full of activities, from art to fishing. The Journey Through Our Heritage program was able to recruit students from the Chicano/a Studies's class Educating Chicano Children and a creative problem solving class through the Center for Innovation.

For more information on this article, please go to the following webpage: http://www.mscd.edu/newsroom/

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Welcome Back to Fall Semester, Servistas!

As you start to get ready for fall classes, you may have free time to spare either on campus or in your community. The Center for Urban Connections would like you to know that we would love to see you at one of our engaging events coming up this fall.

Whether you are interests include climbing with youth or being a part of a book club where you participate in a service project with a local non-profit organization,we hope to keep you engaged in your local community.


Another volunteer opportunity that you could become involved in is with Climbing for Life. This non-profit is committed to providing an experience that will deeply impact the self image of youth at risk, and provides them with positive steps to build a great future for youth. Volunteers are needed to help with belay, group management and simple interaction with youth. If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity please contact our program coordinator, Ryan Campbell at (303) 352-7129 and click on this link:climbingforlife.org/ to apply for this volunteer position.

Our next event is a reoccurring series called 1 Book/ 1 Project/ 2 Transform. This event is a book discussion that integrates a service project to help transform perspectives about social action issues for students, staff and faculty at Metro State.There are a couple of components that are involved with this event. First, you will participate by reading this semester's book, Enrique's Journey. This book is about the immigration of a Honduran boy, and his challenging journey to come to America to be reunited with his mother. In addition to reading Enrique's Journey, participants will do a service project that is related to immigration. For more information about this book, please visit enriquesjourney.com Sign-up for this event will begin in September, so please be on the lookout for upcoming announcements!



If you have any interest in these volunteer opportunities, please contact our office at (303) 352-7129 and or e-mail us at mscd-urbanconnect@mscd.edu.

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Today is the Last day to Volunteer for the May 15th Take Charge event!

Hello there all you Servistas!

There is a great event coming up this Sunday with Take Charge Colorado. Today is the last day to sign up for this wonderful opportunity. Take Charge! Colorado's mission is to engage local communities to make positive change to inspire Colorado residents to enlighten and educate individuals about clean energy.

Volunteers will canvas Golden homes Sunday, May 15 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. offering to replace incandescent front porch light bulbs with free compact fluorescent bulbs and providing information about energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Volunteer training and materials will be provided.

• WHEN: Sunday, May 15, 2011, Noon—4pm
• WHERE: City of Golden, South Ridge Park
• RSVP: by May 10, 2011 to Stephanie@GroundworkColorado.org / 303-455-5600

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Retail store run by former homeless women,promotes local community & entrepreneurship

Just because you have a for profit business does not mean you can provide a non-profit like atmosphere to its aura. Today, I found an interesting GOOD http://www.good.is/ article about a retail initiative called by MADE by DWC http://www.madebydwc.org/.

This is a social entrepreneurship that helps homeless women by giving them job training and employment, product development training, and community partnerships.

I really love this idea! Local Denver non-profits such as the African Community Center and SAME Cafe have integrated this concept into their mission and values.

Women who are now self sufficient, make all of the goods, prepare the food, and operate the store AND all of the proceeds benefit the Downtown Women's Center.

Its great to find articles that show individual empowerment. I hope that you support local places such as this,and help to sustain social entrepreneurship and local products made by individuals who are from the local community.

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Anti- Bullying Campaign Brings Awareness Through Photography

Although anti- bully activism is a very prevalent issue in all levels of schooling, sometimes the reality of its overall awareness can make individuals scared to bring it up at all.

Both a mother and photographer in the Denver metro area, Katherine Blunt has made it a point to stand up to acts of bullying, especially when the consequences of it can lead to suicide. Her campaign is called Krusades for Kindness, and it all started when her own daughter was bullied,and right then, she knew that she wanted to do something about it.

Being the social activist & photographer that she is, she decided to take action and photograph a diverse groups of first through 12th graders; that were of all ages, ethnicities, both male and female,to raise awareness of bullying in local schools.

This has resulted in an photo exhibit that will be open to the public on Friday, April 29th at the First Universalist Church in Denver located at 4101 E. Hampden Ave ( at Colorado Blvd.) Her art show will be open through May 15th.



Thanks for reading!

Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

National Conference on Volunteering and Service

Hello there Servistas!

Interested in doing something interesting and fun this summer? On June 6th-8th,embark in a weekend of learning about service and community engagement through workshops,service projects, and special events inspired by social action and community.

If you are a volunteer coordinator, non-profit professionals, AmeriCorps member and alum, social entrepreneurs and national philanthropists.

Speakers include: Elizabeth Blake ( Senior Vice President of Habitat for Humanity), James Carville ,civil rights activist Ruby Bridges and much more!

For more information about this conference or to learn more, click on this link: http://www.volunteeringandservice.org/


Thanks for reading!



Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Get Inspired by Your Youth: The Power Shift 2011

Just yesterday wrapped up a youth driven, grassroots conference on Climate Change to raise and awaken youth to stand up to protect our environment. This weekend's presentation in Washington D.C.,http://www.powershift2011.org/conference/powershift2011 marked an expectation for youth to take social action, by creating a think tank for creative ideas and solutions for clean energy.

As these individuals bring back positive action driven programs into their community, they are also giving a new birth of existence,hoping that someday soon this topic will be integrated into higher education, whether that be speakers or course selections.

This movement is all about using individual creativity to promote social justice and change in local communities.This idea, is one that I think will help young individuals be able to spread knowledge and be the change they wish to see in their own community. Attendees consisted of all career paths, including young entrepreneurs and folks who are socially and politically involved in their communities.

During the past couple of years, there has been a wonderful amount of advertising for products and communication that is locally grown and developed. Since communication has gone very global, the challenge for every one today is to spread that which is important locally, so that every community can be able to make change, which helps to fill up a cup of large social awareness.

Here is an interesting article http://tinyurl.com/3knzxoq that was posted by the New York Times, that talks about the concept of bringing local back.

Happy social action reading!


Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Earth Day 2011 Volunteer Opportunities and Events

Hello Servistas!

Here are two great events and volunteer opportunities to get involved in the community for Earth Day!

The first one, is here on campus. It is geared towards environmental workshops. Some of them include composting and energy saving tips and tools. It starts at 10:30 and ends at 3 on April 22nd aka earth day. If you are interested in volunteering/participating please contact Kyra Tarbell @ Kyra.Tarbell@ucdenver.edu. All students, faculty and staff are welcome to join!

The second event happening is a Take Charge volunteer event put on by Groundwork Denver. Volunteers will be helping the Skyline neighborhood, by providing them with free compact fluorescent bulbs and educating individuals about green friendly practices. This event will be on April 29th, from 9am -12. Please RSVP by April 25th to Stephanie at Stephanie@GroundworkColorado.org or call (303) 455-5600.

If you have any questions about these two events or would like to know more information, please come to our office Tiovli 243 or call us at (303) 352-7129.


Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Volunteer at Roadrunners Give Back Day

The Center for Urban Connections invites you to volunteer on Saturday April 30th, for our second annual Roadrunners Give Back Day. This volunteer opportunity is all about giving back to the Denver metro community, by doing various projects to establish a sense of community between students,staff, and faculty of Metro State.

There will be free Red Cross CPR classes offered after your shift, a recycling drive hosted by Comcast,and clothing & food donations.

Volunteer participants are expected to volunteer for six hours during Give Back Day.
Check in starts at 8 am, and projects go until 3 pm.When you volunteer for Give Back Day you receive free parking, a t-shirt,and complementary breakfast and lunch.

Some of the projects include community beautification, campus landscaping, painting, and library projects.

For more information about how to register please go to: http://www.mscd.edu/volunteerday/


If you have specific questions about Volunteer Day, please contact Lauren Schwartz at schwarla@mscd.edu or call 303.556.2847.

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Deal Karma: Local coupon deals, Supporting local Non-Profits

A local socially aware business has emerged to give Denver, local deals and funding to 501 (c)(3) non profit organizations.It is called Deal Karma. Because they believe that being philanthropic is an essential value to their mission, they donate up to fifty percent of what they receive to numerous local Denver non-profits.

On their website, they have a couple of articles that are of relevance to our local community.Topics range from agriculture to animals, and all of these postings relate to how an individual can become engaged in the community through non-profit organizations. There is even an opportunity to donate your old cell phone and up-cycle it, to give to the Safehouse Denver.

If you have further interest in signing up for Deal Karma or learning more about it please go to their website,http://dealkarma.org.

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Hope for Japan Blossoms on the Auraria Campus

In these sensitive times for Japan, there may be a tendency to not know what to do, but at or very own Auraria Campus students, staff and faculty have connected to give light and hope to those who were affected by this month's disaster tsunami in Japan.

Donations are still being collected for the Japan Relief fund in many offices, including the Center for Urban Connections here in Tivoli 243. Any amount is greatly appreciated and given directly to those in need.

There will be a closing ceremony this upcoming Monday, April 4th in the Rodger Braun Lounge from 2pm-4pm.

This event will include: A check presentation to the Red Cross, free food, takio drum performances, and making origami's for a good cause.

Please come to this event to raise awareness and bring a friend!

If you have any other questions, please come to our office in Tivoli 243 or call (303) 352-7129.

Thanks for reading!

Bus Approach to Service Brings Community and Volunteering Together

Hey there Servistas!

I throughly enjoy finding articles about service learning or volunteering on http://www.good.is/. I think that what they contribute gives hope that service learning will create a postive impact on our world.

As I moseyed around their website today, I was intrigued to find an article that yet again that is interesting and gives light and inspiration for our community. It is called the Do Good Bus. This bus helps people who are interested in volunteering, get out and do something but may not be willing to put a lot of effort to ask a organization if they want to volunteer.

The good bus takes you on an adventure. First you hop on the bus, then you find out about your volunteer opportunity.

Not knowing the place that you are volunteering for creates a mystery and eliminates all anxiety that they may have about volunteering for that non-profit.

They have also created themes for the volunteer bus that are freshly integrated into something that is fun and different every time!

I would love to see something that could be created in Denver, a quasi Banjo Billy bus but socially-aware and oriented so that individuals can do acts of service around town.

To see the full article on GOOD, please click on this link: http://www.good.is/post/next-stop-volunteering-the-do-good-bus-makes-community-service-easy-and-fun/

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle

Media/Events Assistant

Center for Urban Connections

Breaking Night: CUC's Selection for 1 Book/1Project/2 Transform

Hello Servistas! In the next couple of weeks we have a bi-annual event that is held in our office called 1 Book 1 Project 2 Transform. This event is more than your typical book club that only focuses on discussions, but goes deeper by giving individuals a visual ( a socially aware film about a community issue) and lets participants engage in a service project where they can connect and transform their understandings and perceptions about a socially aware topic in our community.

Our current book is called "Breaking Night". It is a memoir of the author, Liz Murray's experience with homelessness; her struggles of forgiveness, survival and how she went from being homeless to Harvard University. Below is a link to a You Tube video where the author gives a brief synopsis of her book and her story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtybvFW0ncY For those of you who are signed up for this event, please make sure to check your Metro e-mail to find further updates on upcoming opportunities to volunteer with women and youth organizations in April. We look forward to seeing you at our book discussions, film showings and service projects!



Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Save Service on March 15th!

Hello there Servistas! Lately, there has been lots of news about service. The U.S. House of Representatives are pulling for a decision to potentially shut down the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is a official government office that provides funding to many federal service programs in the United States. More than two weeks ago, Save Service District Day created an awareness for members of congress around the country. With the voices and national community in mind, March 15th is a crucial day to make a call to our Colorado Senators to Make a Call to Save Service in America.

Congress has until March 18th to make a decision whether to close such programs like AmeriCorps UCAN Serve and VISTA. Please support this wonderful initiative that could close all forms of educational service learning scholarships. Not only does this provide a great platform for our country, but it gives college students like us the opportunity to have an educational scholarship for volunteering.Thus it creates a strong interest in giving back and giving youth a positive value of volunteering in our community.

Here is the number to call our Local Colorado Senators: Office of Michael Bennet- (202) 224-5852 Office of Mark Udall- (202) 224-5941 If you do not know what to say, here is a link that provides some helpful pointers to call your senators: http://www.saveservice.org/pages/call-your-congressperson AND/OR please sign the online pledge to Save Service @ http://www.saveservice.org/.

Thanks so much for reading!

Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Volunteer Transparancy Infographic

Check this interesting info graphic out about The Pledge to Do Good, from GOOD http://www.good.is/, a great resource for non-profits, businesses and individuals to connect and promote "moving the world forward".

It is great to see an online magazine create a deeper awareness of issues around service learning, what volunteerism is & means, and how can we move forward to create a greater good in many aspects of our lives.

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Metro Students Out in the Community

Hey there Servistas!

In this blog, we will be going inside the expierence of a Metro Student who volunteers in the community. By reading this profile, I hope that you can feel more connected to a organization and the amazing benefits that exist when you volunteer! Here is Alyson's community interview from the wonderful non profit organization, SAME Cafe, http://www.soallmayeat.org/.

Enjoy!

What brings you to SAME Cafe? I needed a place to intern for school and my food safety professor at Metro State recommended SAME Cafe. I will be going to school forBaking and Pastry at Culinary Institute of America in NY. Right now I volunteer on Mondays and Fridays in the kitchen until I leave forschool in April. I am excited to be going to culinary school and evengot a scholarship for community involvement, academics, and an essay I wrote.

What do you like about being at SAME Cafe?

I like that SAME uses as much fresh ingredients as possible and is allabout the community. I can tell that Brad and Libby really care about it. It is not just a job to them. I am a vegetarian and I love the options. I just traveled to Korea to visit my brother who is servingin the army and it was so interesting to see all the different foodsthere. They don't really get why someone would be vegetarian. They eat a lot of meat. Come into the cafe sometime on a Monday or Friday and I will tell you about my trip to the Korean BBQ and the streetmarket where the only food I recognized was bean sprouts and green onions.

What is your favorite job at SAME Cafe?

Making cookies of course!

I hope that inspired and engaged you to volunteer! If you have any questions about volunteering through our office and any other civic engagement opportunities please visit us in Tivoli 243 or call (303) 352-7129, we are happy to answer any questions or comments you may have.

Have a great rest of the week!

Rachelle

Media/Events Assistant

Center for Urban Connections

One Man. One Walk. 3,000 Miles Across America

What do the words community, movement and engagement all have in common? A sense of empowerment to provide individuals with an experience that will change their life.

Jonathon Stalls, an Alum of Metro State just got back from an amazing journey. Jonathon and his dog, Konoa walked 3,000 miles from Delaware to San Francisco, to empower individuals to build community and raise awareness of Kiva ,http://www.kiva.org/ which provides micro-credit to individuals wanting to start their own business.

On Monday February 28^th, 2011 from 11:30 to 1pm,come hear this fascinating story about his journey, the Kiva Walk. This event is located in Tivoli 320. A light lunch will be provided.

Come here their story and have an inspiring, engaging afternoon!

For more details about this event please contact: Kelly Felice, The Association for Non Profit Professionals or the Center for Urban Connections.

We hope to see you there!

Ways to Give Love to Others

When I was looking into doing potential blog postings today, I thought it would be interesting to create a post that doesn't talk so much about love or the depressing side of this holiday, but instead from the perspective of giving to others. I happened to come across an article at The Case Foundation, http://www.casefoundation.org/spotlight/valentines, and this article talks about exactly what I thought would be a cool twist.

Being valentines day and all, it can be a challenge to not think positively to the whole part of what love really means. I think that if we can center ourselves to understand that the act of love means a lot of things,we can bring light to many things, including giving back to the community. Here are a couple of the ideas that I liked or was inspired by. These fun and interesting ideas, help to enlighten the inner volunteer in you. 1. If you chose to go out for dinner, chose a simple restaurant instead of a fancy one, and donate the half that you would have spent to your favorite non-profit organization. 2. If there is a non-profit that you care for, take the time to give them an valentine appreciation letter! 3. Donate clothes to local thrift stores to give back to your local community, to love & clear things out from your wardrobe! 4. If your buying flowers or chocolates, look into how local and/or fair trade they are. Re-think these questions: are they coming from a local floral shop? Is the chocolate that you are buying made in a sustainable and healthy manner? 5. This week, February 12-18, is Small Random Acts of Kindness. From saying "you're awesome" to a friend or volunteering for a couple hours at a soup kitchen, you can give back by being generously simple and kind.


For more ideas promoting random acts of kindness visit: http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/. Hope that one of these ideas sparked for you on this day, and encouraged you that there are many ways to celebrate what is lovely about life!

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Tolietries Drive!

Is your bathroom overflowing with any unwanted items such as sample soaps, toothpaste given at dentists offices & shampoo bottles ? If so, you can donate all of those items to our Toiletries Drive for the African Community Center! For this year's Alternative Spring Break in conjunction with doing a three day service project, the Student Leadership board is doing a toiletry drive. This drive benefits the non-profit the African Community Center, http://www.acc-den.org/g/ whose mission is to help refugees build a safe, sustainable lifestyle in Denver through a support system of people, programs, and services.

All donations from this drive, will go directly to refugees. Please help the Student Leadership Board and our office bring in lots of helpful items for these individuals. The items that we need are: deodorant, soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, tissues,and women's items.

We will be collecting donations until March 18th. You will see boxes out by the departments and one in our office, Tivoli 243.


Thanks for reading!


 Rachelle Media/Events Assistant
 Center for Urban Connections

Once Gumballs, Now Change Seeds in Urban Communities

Have you ever seen a vending machine on the street and wondered could that be used for social change? Word on the street says that it can.

I found a very interesting concept article on http://www.good.is/ It is about how one couple decided to up-cycle and use bubble gum machines as seed bombs. These things that look like falafel balls are "packed with native wildflower seeds ready to land in unsuspecting sidewalk cracks, vacant lots, and parking medians".

With these change seeds in place, this L.A. nonprofit, Project Green Aid, gives individuals an opportunity to put their spare change in to help their community and refresh its resources. It also creates "casual activism". This project has been funded by the Pepsi Refresh Project, which is an incentive project that helps people to come together, think of ideas, and take action.

Here at Metro State, we have the compost program. Our compost program helps the community by initiating a student impact to help our lovely environment.

Thanks for reading!


Rachelle
Media/Events Assistant
Center for Urban Connections

Its Not Too Late to Sign Up for the Bed Races!

Hello Enthusiasts of Service Learning and Engagement!

This is a friendly reminder that there are still a lot of spaces left for the upcoming Bed Races coming up in February!

The Bed Races requires a team ( of 5 people, 4 who push the bed and 1 who rides as a passenger) and a 50 dollar registration fee that supports Denver's Road Home and the Denver homeless community.

The rules for the bed race are as follows: The bed must be pushed down the driveway, where the passenger must dismount the bed, don pajamas ( and button them fully), get back on the bed, which is then pushed back to the original start line.

If you have any questions about this event, do not hesitate to visit http://pjday.org/ or come into our office, The Center for Urban Connections at Tivoli 243 or call (303) 352-7129.

Have a wonderful day!

Rachelle

Media/Events Assistant

Center for Urban Connections

MLK Peace Breakfast: A Reminder to be a Social Activist in the Community

Black and white decor and old timey vintage newspapers covered the bare tables in the Turnhalle, as a layer of awareness struck the individuals on Friday January 18th. This day was the 20th anniversary of the MLK Jr. Peace Breakfast.

The 300 people in attendance varied from students, faculty to numerous community activists who believe in the ethic of social justice and peace. The breakfast started out with social advocates within the school, then moved onto musical acts, storytelling and a wonderful vocalist who was a Metro alumni.

This breakfast honors 4 unique individuals who believe in social equality and equal rights, in the community with a peace award. This gives awardees , an item of applause and appreciation , for all of the work they have done in the Denver community to bring awareness to diversity and equality among all individuals.

Master of Ceremonies, donnie betts, believes that bringing the generational gaps inward and to a close, would make room for open discussions and a plethora of ideas to promote action in the community.

He stated that if community organizations, but most importantly Auraria Student Organizations interweave to create a sense of connection and deepening of a progressive movement, there would be more togetherness to bring allies in support of each other, together to take action.

betts said, " We must find out how we all can now , like the 60's and 70's, come together and work for a common good."

As much as our school and community can, we all should work on being positive, helping out each other reach our dreams, and be able to go through all social justice with an open mind and heart.

The highly popular " I have a dream..." speech gave individuals of all race, sex, religions and beliefs a dream of understanding. Now, we need to re-invent that dream to balance the chaos of everyday life. We need to have dreams and not be afraid to do so, and lastly we need supporters like friends, family,and the community to give us the ability to make it possible and believe in us.

To find out more about our center or volunteer opportunities, please visit us in Tivoli 243 or call (303) 352-7129. Our website is:http://www.mscd.edu/urbanconnect/

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle

Media/Events Assistant

Center for Urban Connections

Some Reasons Why Volunteering Is Awesome!

What is a green festival? A Green Festival, http://www.greenfestivals.org/ promotes environmental awareness, fair trade and sustainability. The organization that puts on this festival, recently put out an article that lists the top ten reasons to volunteer. I found that this is an essential to have with all of our students, faculty and staff because we all have busy lives, and sometimes volunteering for something is not our number one thing we need to do, although it should be integrated into our weekly schedules.

There is a lot of promotion for Green Festival Volunteers. I know from volunteering at the Green Festival in Denver in 2009, that this a legitimate organization and one with a lot of passion and dedication to what it means to be green.

I also want to mention, on the subject of green, that the Auraria Campus is composting! This is our first semester of having compost and composting classes available to all students, staff and faculty! The green bins are located all throughout the Tivoli. If you could please be mindful and look out for them, our center, as well as Compost Auraria would greatly appreciate it and our campus could be one of few, who composts in an urban community.

Here is what Green Festivals aka Global Exchange and Green America Say Why Its Important to Make Time to Volunteer:

1. Joy of Giving

Involvement in a cause steeped in creating a better life for the world and all of its inhabitants brings a joy that is unlike any other. It will give you a unique feeling of purpose and power that will feed your spirit, expand your mind and boost your self-esteem.

2. Networking and Career Advancement

Volunteering can contribute to your career in a number of valuable ways. It strengthens your resume, boosts your visibility in the community and can connect you to valuable references. Plus, listing your volunteer experience on a resume demonstrates to prospective employers that you are conscientious, engaged in your community and able to manage your time to include giving back.

3. Fun with Friends and Family

Rewarding experiences are best shared, and volunteering is certainly more fun with two, four or six. Many of the volunteer roles at Green Festival can be shared with friends or family. Bring a youngster to partner with you; those who begin volunteering during their youth will typically become life-long volunteers.

4. A Step out of your Normal Routine

Volunteering is a great way to learn a new skill, explore new interests, discover untapped talents and meet new people. You may have social skills underutilized in your daily life that can be a valuable tool as an educator on the Green Team, or you may be a real kid-magnet, perfect for the Green Kid’s Zone. Find a hidden strength!

5. Make a Difference that will Reach Around the World

When you volunteer for the Green Festival, you are contributing to an event that promotes sustainability, human rights and environmental responsibility in the U.S. and around the world. By contributing your time, you are ultimately participating in promoting responsible energy sources, changing the life of a coffee farmer in Mexico or opening the door of opportunity for an African seamstress or an Indian jewelry-maker.

6. Connect with your Community

Volunteering is a powerful tool that brings together individuals with similar goals and ideology. Share the day with hundreds of like-minded volunteers, and you could meet your next boss, the love of your life or a magnetic new friend.

7. Gain Valuable Service Hours

Most high schools and some universities now require a certain number of service hours be earned before graduation. Have a great time fulfilling your school’s requirement; there are so many volunteer roles and shifts at Green Festival that, if you were so inclined, could earn you upwards of 20 hours in a weekend!

8. It’s Healthy

Volunteering gets you up, out and moving. It improves your mood with feelings of joy and optimism which relieves stress, boosts your immune system and slows the aging process. Invest your time in a healthy pursuit while making a real difference in your community.

9. Free Admission and Great Benefits

Let’s be frank, one of the reasons to volunteer for Green Festival is to gain that Free Admission all weekend! Plus, you get the exclusive, organic cotton, sweat-shop-free event tshirt, free memberships in Global Exchange and Green America for one year and access to food, relaxation and a free coat check in the Volunteer Lounge all weekend.

10. It Saves Resources for your Cause

Volunteers at the Green Festival save us up to $40,000 in staffing costs at each event. That means there is that much more funding to spend on promoting social justice and environmental responsibility. Though your service is more valuable than money, we recognize this is a piece of your contribution that is tangible and measurable.

Celebrate and Honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Today is the 25th Anniversary of MLK Jr. Day. It is a day of peace, remembrance and social justice. In honor of this day, here are some links that I found interesting in case you would like to re-read or re-visit what Martin Luther King Jr. has done for human rights.

1) MLK Quotes http://tinyurl.com/4erjo35

2) I Have A Dream Speech http://tinyurl.com/y4acg5

3) Marade 2010 Slideshow in Denver http://tinyurl.com/47sylq9

4) A Day of Service Opportunities http://tinyurl.com/46tz66r

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle

Media/Events Asssistant

Center for Urban Connections

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities!

Hello All!

Are you thinking about volunteering this semester? We have some great opportunities coming up, so look no further than our office, Facebook page and our monthly newsletter!

This upcoming Friday and Monday, there are two volunteer opportunities for Martin Luther King Jr. Day that are quite fun and a great opportunity to meet fellow Metro students!

If you are attending the MLK Breakfast, please join us afterwards outside the turnhalle, to create signs and banners for the MLK Marade on Monday. We also hope you will join us for the Marade, on Monday January 17th, 2011 and wear red! We are meeting on Monday just north of the Thatcher Fountain located just north of 17th on the City Park Esplanade. Participants will congregate at the Dr. King memorial site in City Park at 9:00 a.m. The Marade begins at 10:00 a.m. with participants marching together to Civic Center Park, where cake will be served. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. yearbook will be signed again this year at the Colorado State Capitol Building, and program festivities are expected to end at 1:00 p.m. If you have any questions please contact Kumella Aiu, our Office Coordinator at kaiu@mscd.edu or (303) 352-7134

or come to our office located in Tivoli 243.

Coming up in February, The Center, a non-profit organization that is a community center dedicated to providing support and advocacy for Colorado's gay, lesbian,bisexual and transgender ( GLBT) population, has two events in February that are opportunities of fun to get involved with the community!

These events and the contact information is listed below:

Artopia will be a night of art, food, music and fashion. It is on Saturday February 19th at 7pm until February 20th at 2am. All volunteers must be 21 years or older. Proceeds benefit the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans gendered Community Center of Colorado.

Volunteer and help out with LGBT Community Lobby Day on Monday February 21st from 8 to 3 pm. You will be volunteering by doing various workshops throughout the day!

For more information on these volunteer opportunities please contact Juli German, Community Engagement Coordinator at jgerman@glbtcolorado.org or at (303) 733-7743.

Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!

Rachelle

Media/Events Assistant

Center for Urban Connections

Volunteer to Help Understand Our Community!

Are you interested in understanding populations or community surveys?

Help and volunteer with Denver's Road Home for the Point in Time Study on Tuesday, January 25th! They need volunteers to administer surveys in order to collect data and identify needs and trends of the homeless population in the Denver Metro Area. The data that is collected is used by community, faith-based and local government organizations.

If you have any questions about this volunteer opportunity, please contact Rebecca Mayer at mdhi@unitedwaydenver.org or call her at (303) 561-2194.

For volunteer registration go to: https://volunteer.truist.com/milehigh/user/events/one.aspx?event_id=10434551966&utime=1292444009498722&init=0

( copy and paste this link onto your browser)

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle

Media/Events Assistant

Center for Urban Connections