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!