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