SHU Volunteer Programs & Service Learning

Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation: Colleen Shaffer

I was honored to spend time with the Lakota people on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation through Simply Smiles. In hindsight, I discovered these people are plagued by many hardships.

The children are exposed to situations that no child should encounter; fortunately, Simply Smiles is their outlet and oasis. The odds are against these children, yet they continue to flourish and fight another day. Children participate in summer camp activities, but the entire community is welcome. I witnessed the impact Simply Smiles has on these people, simply by providing meals or by supporting and providing structure for the children. I struggle to articulate my experience that week, and words cannot convey the humbleness.  Experiencing it, living it temporarily, and connecting with the people who live it daily is the only way to believe it. 

We helped expand the kitchen, planned summer camp activities, and facilitated a basketball clinic with the SHU basketball team. I felt privileged and honored to share stories, history, and the Lakota culture with elders. By participating in the summer camp activities, I formed a strong connection with the children, to the point that I felt guilty leaving them. I embarked on this trip with the lowest expectations, assuming that we would not be welcome, and would hate being there.  The greatest thing is that these people exceeded all expectations, we were welcomed, and everyone bonded with the elders and children and formed a truly beautiful relationship. 

I have ever met stronger or more intelligent people, all of them. Simply Smiles changed my life forever for the better. 

Colleen Shaffer, SHU '22

Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation: Hailey Tyler

The experiences, friends, and memories made from our week at the reservation with Simply Smiles cannot be summarized in a page, it would give the experience little justice. For this reason it is imperative that myself and my classmates continue to advocate for Simply Smiles, the journey did not end when we arrived home. I have learned more in a week, than in twenty years of school and life, about culture, human connection, and myself.

            For myself the trip began in Newark airport at six in the morning, when I began to make friends that I knew I would be contact with for the rest of my life. I had never met anyone, even the professors, prior to the trip. Working, volunteering, and laughing alongside these individuals created some of the deepest connections I have ever made. For this I am forever grateful, but I began to see the efforts of our work as I met those that lived on the reservation.

            During our first community dinner I noticed a man seated alone. As I joined him our relationship blossomed and I learned more about the Lakota culture. Everyday he would greet me with a good morning which would lead to him showing me pictures of his son, he is such a proud father. I was also delighted that he was comfortable sharing with me his own experiences with his spirituality. That during his meditation in a sweat lodge he received his spirituality stone. This stone is not a tangible object, but something that came to him in a vision given to him by his ancestors from generations back because they believed he was mature enough. The stone showed a white buffalo, a black horse, and a wolf. The buffalo representing the sacredness in women, the horse is a symbol that he will carry a pipe throughout his life (that he is a kind and sacred man), and the wolf is his spirit animal.

            On this night I also met a young girl, a soon to be graduate of Tiospaye Topa School. We would often talk about her personal life and hardships. We also joked a lot, because you can never take life too seriously. Having her come to Simply Smiles for dinner after her graduation made me think deeply about the impact of this organization. That this individual and hundreds more are beyond impacted by it. On the day of her biggest accomplishment she wanted to spend it with them and us.

            Speaking with Professor Reid and Kareem helped me to understand the sadness surrounding the loss of culture and the need to preserve. As well as Ron helping me to comprehend the intensities of alcohol and drug abuse, that leads to an ever increasing uphill battle for reservation life. Making it imperative that we continue our work by volunteering, donating, and spreading awareness. Sacred Heart is in the beginning steps of making a club for Simply Smiles, which I believe will help to accomplish all of these tasks. The club will also create a larger student body involved. With the increased number of students my hope is that with help from the school and professors we can volunteer at the reservation more than one week out of the year. In order to build stronger connections with the community and help Simply Smiles with their incredible mission.

 

- Hailey Tyler, SHU '21

International Service-Learning Program Reflection

"In Colombia we worked with children ranging from toddlers to middle schoolers for an after school program. These kids live a poverty-stricken neighborhood that was dangerous. It was such an amazing experience to work with an organization that provided a safe space for the kids to play and do their schoolwork, especially in a dangerous part of the city. The kids were very appreciative and welcomed everyone they met. They were genuinely happy to meet new people, and it was inspiring to see such positivity in a very rough part of the country. I consider myself lucky to have worked with the community leaders who ran this organization and had such a positive impact on these kids’ lives."

Nathan Vargoshe

Colombia Service Trip

Class of 2020

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!