SHU Volunteer Programs & Service Learning

C.U.R.T.I.S Week Reflection: Caroline Flynn

Participating in Curtis Week provided me with an eye opening and meaningful experience. Through the multiple volunteer sites that we went to, I was exposed to the immense need for service right here in our backyard of Bridgeport, Ct.

I realized that one doesn’t have to travel to another country or even to a different state to find service opportunities; they can volunteer right in their neighborhood. Even more, as we continued to explore different religious traditions each night, I found a common theme between each faith tradition. Community and respect. I believe these two values are the pillars of  service regardless of the background of each individual. We are all part of a larger community of human beings and because of this we all deserve respect and dignity.

In today’s society, there is even a stronger need for a call to serve and openness to new experiences. As the week continued on, I became aware of my own personal stereotypes and biases and was able to take actions to start to break them down by not only pushing myself our of my comfort zone but also through meaningful conversations with others who had different beliefs then myself.

Ultimately, I hope to bring this inclusive sense of community back to Sacred Heart University as we continually work to serve others. 

 

- Caroline Flynn, SHU '19

C.U.R.T.I.S Week Reflection: Claire Vreeland

In technical terms C.U.R.T.I.S. Week is an acronym that stands for “Community Understanding and Reflection Through Inner-city Service," and although the acronym describes the week very well, it is also so much more than that. This week throws a group of people together to spend five days exploring diversity in Bridgeport.

The group spends these days doing what we love, all while building a strong connection in the process. During the day, we get to work with our favorite community service affiliates; including The Caroline House, Hall Neighborhood House, The Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, CT Food Bank, and so many more. At night, we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in different religions by going to different places of worship. These include a Buddhist Meditation Center, an Islamic Mosque, and a Jewish Synagogue. At the end of each day, we conclude with a reflection, which is a time where the group gets to open up about what we learn and how we can apply what was learned. 

A major theme I found during the five days spent is that we are all human. We may have different nationalities, races, and ethnicities, or maybe we practice a different religion, but it does not mean that we do not all have the same loving heart and soul. Every day, I learned something new that I will remember forever and will apply to how I interact with others around me.  I am so beyond grateful for C.U.R.T.I.S. Week because it teaches me things that I cannot learn while sitting in a classroom. It teaches me empathy and, in simple terms, it opens my eyes to not only what is occurring in our little corner of Bridgeport, but also the entire world. It teaches me love and how we should love people for who they are, but not for what they look like or what religion they practice. And finally, it has taught me that when a group of twenty people spend five days together, doing what they love, building a connection, and having open minds and hearts, we can truly change a lot of people’s lives for the better.  

 

- Claire Vreeland, SHU '21

Thanksgiving & Interfaith Food Drive

Throughout November, VP&SL collected food donations for the Thanksgiving Food Drive and Interfaith Service. Donations from the Sacred Heart community provided meals to over 500 families during the holiday season. Special thanks to Student Government/Student Life, the Men’s Lacrosse Team, Campus Ministry, Chartwell’s, Marketing & Communications, SHU Fit and Athletics for your help with distribution.

While donations for the Thanksgiving Food Drive have come to a close, there is more good to be done. Adopt A Family for the holidays! Gifts and donations for local families are needed. You can register to adopt a family by stopping by HC109 to sign up.

Success Through AMP

 

The 2018-19 academic school year has gotten off to a great start for students in Sacred Heart University’s Jones Zimmerman Academic Mentoring Program (AMP), at John Winthrop elementary school. AMP is an after school mentoring program that is designed to help middle school students achieve and maintain academic success with the help of their college mentors.

Student’s start the program in 6th grade and are paired with a student mentor from Sacred Heart University and remain in the program until they graduate from 8th grade. This year AMP saw over 20 students return to the program and enrolled 13 new 6th graders.

Mentors not only tutor the students and provide homework help, they also build close friendships and help develop students social skills. In addition to providing academic support for these students, AMP arranges fun and engaging enrichment activities to help build character and develop new skills.

Last week students had the opportunity to go on a field trip to Jones Family Farm in Shelton. This was a fun and excting field trip where students and their mentors participated in a corn maze, a hay ride around the farm finished the day off with some pumpkin picking.

With a great group of students and mentors I look forward to all the fun activities and trips we have planned for AMP this year!

-Tatenda Zenenga, Program Coordinator/ VPSL Graduate Assistant

Volunteer Fair 2018

 

Last weeks Volunteer Fair, hosted by the office of Volunteer Programs Service-Learning, was an amazing opportunity for students to get involved.

The setup included tables of most of our community partners ready to give information about what they do, and how the students can be apart of it. Some organizations we are partnered with include Simply Smiles, Let me Run, Kids in Crisis, the Thomas Merton and many more!

Ice cream was catered from Walnut Beach Creamery and that was one of the highlights of the evening! The ice creaming reeled in more students, and the sugar rush gave them the boost they needed to go to more tables and ask questions. If you missed the fair and are feeling a little left out, don't!

Stop by our office in HC 109 and signup for some someone of our weekly volunteer events on the iPad! Transportation is provided!

 

- Maria Ogundolani, VPSL Grad Assistant

Through My Eyes: Community Connections

 

Community Connections Week (CC) was the best thing to ever happen to me. I could not tell you what pushed me to sign up for the Pre-Fall program, but I believe everything happens for a reason and I am so glad that I did.

Preparing for that week was impossible, we had no idea what we were going to be doing each day. We had no idea really where we were staying. No clue where we were going to be eating. However, immediately after arriving, it all began to make sense.

The theme for the week was to live in the present. This is something that kids our age have a hard time doing, and CC pushed us all out of our comfort zones in that way, which I am so grateful for. Besides the challenges of living without knowing our next step, we also were surrounded by strangers. Strangers that soon became family. The amazing people running the program and the outgoing participants all made CC an unforgettable experience. However, with all that being said, the greatest reward was the connections made at the work sites.

Places like Maggie Daly Arts Cooperative (MDAC), Hall House, Caroline House, Stanford Food Pantry, Lifebridge, Merton Soup Kitchen, and Habitat For Humanity changed the way I look at this world. The people there provided me with a new perspective and sparked a fire in me and all of the other participants. A fire that will only grow until the injustice in our little corner, and in the world is corrected. I have truly been inspired to use my privilege to better understand, and better provide for the place I live.

I would not trade my week at CC for anything in this world

 

Written by Maisy Carvalho, SHU '22

South Dakota Trip

I have been fascinated by Native Americans, specifically their history because it is often overlooked or not fully discussed so I decided to apply to this service trip. This is Sacred Heart University’s first year offering this service trip. I was nervous but also very excited. Throughout our week, we were assigned different work projects including, building a latrine, constructing a boardwalk, laying down cement, as well as other small projects. We were there with another group from CT who we were able to work closely with. We were the first groups of the summer. We hosted after school camp with the children from the community of La Plant as well as surrounding communities. This was the first year that children from Swiftbird, the town next to La Plant, were able to attend camp. We had the biggest turnout of children that Simply Smiles has ever seen, with 50+ children. There was a carnival theme for camp so the last day we decided to give out tickets so the children could win prizes; they really seemed to enjoy it. At camp, we did craft projects, science experiments, and physical activities, like kickball, flag football, and basketball. It was amazing to be able to spend time with the children; many piggy back rides were given! There were three community meals throughout the week with not only the La Plant community but the surrounding communities as well. It was great to be able to talk to the adults as well as the elders of the community. We were able to share our stories and really get to know each other. We also hosted a clothing drive at the nearby school. Uniqlo, a Japanese based clothing brand, donated thousands of articles of clothing to Simply Smiles to then be distributed to local families. The children were able to “shop” for clothing during school hours. After school, families were allowed to come and get clothes for their entire family. I look forward to working with Simply Smiles again and hopefully traveling to their Mexico location as well!

Nicaragua Service Immersion Trip 2018

The Nicaragua Service Immersion Trip was one of those experiences you’ll never be able to forget no matter how much time goes by. The trip met and exceeded all of my expectations; from the moment I landed in the country, it was like I couldn’t blink because I was so afraid I would miss even the slightest thing. From the multicolored homes lining the streets, to the mountains bordering the city, everything about Nicaragua was incredible. But what made it stick out from some of the other trips was that the stretch of activities we did was widespread. This trip was dynamic because over the course of the 8 days I involved myself in so many things and threw myself into things I normally wouldn’t have.

This trip isn’t strictly about volunteering either. In fact, the main focus was learning and understanding about the complexity of the country. One of my favorite parts was that we weren’t just thrown into helping the different groups of people in Nicaragua; we had historical and cultural background conversations beforehand so that we understood why these people needed our groups help to begin with. We also got to explore some of the cities outside of Granada (where our homestays lived), and by seeing more of the country than just our volunteer worksites, I was able to better understand my role in being there. It was because of these conversations and trips that I allowed myself to become more engaged in my volunteer work at the boy’s home I was assigned to.

The boys’ home was definitely my personal favorite part of the trip. I went in with a mind set thinking that I would change them, but they changed a part of me too (no matter how cheesy and cliché it sounds). As the week went along, both the boys, myself, and the other girls in my group became closer. I found myself making an utter fool of myself trying to communicate in Spanish with them, and most of the boys became more comfortable dragging us in to play baseball and treating us like they wanted us there in their home. While the days passed, our group leader of Viva Nicaragua, shared with us some of the boys’ backgrounds and why they wound up at the boys’ home. These stories were so touching, which is why those hours spent with them were so delicate. The works sites were the part of the trip that I didn’t want to rush because that’s where I got to witness the exact purpose of why I was in Nicaragua and why I listened to the historical and cultural background talks. I realize that if I went back next year on this trip that the boys may not remember me or my group, but I know that I will always remember them because our time together had made that big of an impact, and I believe I can speak for everyone in my group when I say that.

 

 

 

SHU Students Participate in CURTIS Week

    My name is Emily Tobin and I was a part of CURTIS week this year.  This week takes place during the last week of winter break, right before the start of the Spring semester. CURTIS week is full of opportunities for Sacred Heart students to come together and participate in volunteering in the Bridgeport area as well as participate in interfaith religious services. CURTIS week is named after Bishop Curtis who founded Sacred Heart University and desired for the community to coexist together in peace.

     During the day, students go to Bridgeport and work with various non-profits including soup kitchens, adults with disabilities, neighborhood cleanups, children in various elementary schools, and donation centers.  All the work we do during the week is to try and make a difference in the community, even if it’s only a small one.  The people I have worked with are all very appreciative of us coming out and helping their organizations.  Every time you walk into a site they welcome you with open arms and always with a smile on their faces.  It is amazing that even though some of these people are in bad situations they still manage to have a smile on their face.  

    Then at night, we would visit various religious sites.  The head of the religious center would give us a brief overview of their religion and how they practice their faith, we also receive the opportunity to participate or observe their religious practice. After the service, we engage in a question and answer session with some fellowship with that community.  This was such an eye-opening experience. We learned about their faith and we were able to relate some their traditions or practices to our own beliefs. I was able to see that all religions have their difference, but there are also some similarities within each religion.  I was able to see that all these religions want to coexist with each other and live in peace.

    After a long day, we went back to where we were staying, a convent, and reflected on the day. There were large group activities and large and small group reflections. These reflections gave students a chance to explore the issue of social justice as well as how it impacts their own lives. Students are asked to participate in the discussion if they feel comfortable to do so.  Many students gain a new perspective on certain topics thus, broadens their horizons.

    This week a group of students attended the same trip, only knowing a few students and by the end of the week, they become a family.  I have found that each service trip I have been on, I gain something different out of it, even if it is in the same area. There are new students and new people in the community I meet and interact with. I would recommend this week to all students. I think it is a great way to get to know people and climb outside your comfort zone. I’ll leave you with this quote by Jim Truman,” We cannot change the world, but we can change our own little corner, and that is exactly where we need to start.”

 

Sacred Heart University Heads to Houston Texas

I went to Houston, Texas during this past winter break from January 6-13. At first, I was skeptical to even apply since the application was open to all classes. This meant that I most likely wasn’t going to know people on the trip. However, I filled out the application because I have been on service trips like this before, and know how amazing they are. Being on the Houston trip proved me right. From the second I met with the group in LaGuardia Airport at 7 am, I knew it was going to be an incredible experience.

While in Houston, I created friendships and relationships that I’m really glad to have made, and this is not just limited Sacred Heart students and leaders. There was probably over 200 volunteers staying in a church, sleeping on army cots. These volunteers came from all parts of the country including Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Arkansas, and California. One of the first things we were told while in Houston is that America has already forgotten about thousands of displaced families and that they were so blessed to have us with them. This trip was very eye-opening because as I sit in my dorm, or am in class, I don’t realize the people halfway across the country that is homeless. There is still a job to be done even six months later, and I’m glad I was able to help. Meeting the homeowners was awesome because they were so nice, even though their whole life had been turned upside down. It was inspiring to be around them, and they made me realize to be happy even in bad situations.

I met a lot of people in that week, including the Mayor of Beaumont, Texas, the people that cooked for us, the homeowners of the houses that we worked for, the leaders of Operation Blessing, and students from other schools. I appreciated all of the relationships I made, but some interactions were extra special. A quick encounter I had on the trip was a conversation with a man named Shawn during dinner. He is a Mennonite and traveled to Houston by himself to help other people. He is twenty-six years old, has a family of his own, and is a farmer. He owns his own farm and works hard every day. He also told me that he plans to plant green beans over the next harvest season to expand his merchandise. He was telling me how he plans on marketing his plants, so I told him that I am a marketing major, and gave him some tips on how to market his vegetation.

Another person that impacted me was one of the leaders of the organization, Amy. She is a mom of four that range from 17 to 24 years of age. She left her family in California for six months, which I found to be so crazy since she talked about how much she loves them. I worked with Amy and a student from Delaware named Chelsea all day on Thursday. The best part of this experience was when we were struggling to turn on a paint machine. It wouldn’t turn on no matter what we were doing, so we started to pray, watched Youtube videos, and eventually had to call the boss to come help us. After over an hour of frustration, Amy finally got the sprayer to work. She was ecstatic when it worked, and I will never forget her reaction. She had the biggest smile and began dancing around the room. She filled the room with joy causing everyone to be perfused with her happiness. I have never seen someone so happy in my life, and it was awesome to be a part of. We then got to work and finished completing the house.

My best memories were when I was with my Sacred Heart family, whether it was on the worksite, at the Houston Rockets basketball game, at Gator Nation, or just hanging out in the church. We also had reflections every night where we talked about our highs and lows of the day. We also had deeper reflections where we opened up to the group, talked things out, and supported one another. I made close friends on the trip, and we have seen each other once every other week since the trip. I’m blessed to have had this experience and can’t wait to go on other service trips in the future.