Cleaning alleys, picking up trash and crafting homemade cards were three ways more than 300 students gave back to the community Sunday during the third-annual Community Plunge.

The event, in conjunction with the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Community Engagement, is a day of service and volunteering. The Community Plunge works with several partner sites including the American Cancer Society, St. Joseph Orphanage, the Pro Foundation and more. Students registered to participate through Campus Link and chose their volunteering site day-of.

The Community Plunge began as a partnership between the Center for Community Engagement and UC’s Greek Life, said Fran Larkin, CCE program coordinator.

This year’s event kicked off at 10 a.m. on McMicken Commons, offering 22 different Cincinnati organizations and agencies to choose from.

The event’s Greek partnership helped secure the support of Total Quality Logistics, a local company that focuses on hiring UC graduates, and which also has strong ties to the university’s Greek community. TQL provided breakfast for the volunteers before they were sent out.

The Plunge packed eight charter buses with student volunteers, according to Luke New, fifth-year marketing student and director of community service for UC’s Interfraternity Council.

Cassandra Thorpe, director of student athlete development, said the event was open to everyone on campus, but that it had a heavy Greek presence.

“More involvement [of organizations] increases participation,” Thorpe said. “As more word gets out, it’s definitely going to grow.”

The Plunge’s partner organizations allowed students to serve in a variety of ways. A street beautification non-profit called Spring in Our Steps put 24 students to work, cleaning alleyways in Northside as a part of its Allies for Alleys campaign.

The organization’s co-founder, Christian Huelsman, said the goal of the campaign is to create positive public spaces by cleaning up all 25 of Northside’s alleys. Spring in Our Steps has also worked on alleys closer to UC, including Shorre and Colby alleys, Huelsman said. Sunday’s event followed a similar one held Saturday that was open to all members of the community.

Not all participants got their hands dirty. One group of about 25 students was sent to Grace Hospice in Norwood, where they were put to work making cards for residents and their families for holidays and birthdays.

Hannah Scully, the site coordinator from the Community Plunge for the hospice group, said service like writing cards is just as important as labor-intensive service.

“It’s something that a lot of people don’t think about,” Scully said. “Picking up trash feels more like a chore. People are a little more excited to do this.”

Shelby Duncan, volunteer coordinator for Grace Hospice, said she was thankful for the students’ work.

“People who stay in hospices are usually in a lot of pain,” Duncan said. “Knowing that people are thinking of them is really special to them.”

Source: http://www.newsrecord.org/driven-to-serve-students-give-back-through-assorted-activites/article_584880b0-3969-11e4-a406-0017a43b2370.html

With the 2015 baseball season approaching, the Texas Tech baseball team took time out of their off season last week to make a surprise visit to Covenant Children’s Hospital, according to a Tech Athletics news release.

Members of the Tech baseball team, along with coach Tim Tadlock, took pictures, talked and presented autographed baseballs to the children staying at the hospital.

Tech baseball’s visit to Covenant Children’s Hospital is the first event organized by the Red Raider Reach Program.

The program, created by Clark Lammert, senior forward for Tech’s mens basketball team, looks to reach out to members of the Lubbock community by involving all of Tech’s athletic programs.

With a goal of helping Tech student athletes reach 2,000 community service hours this school year, the program schedules visits to local Lubbock hospitals for two Tech athletics teams each month.

The baseball, softball and track and field teams will make visits during the fall semester while the football, volleyball and soccer teams will schedule visits in the spring semesters once their seasons end.

Source: http://www.dailytoreador.com/sports/texas-tech-baseball-visits-local-children-s-hospital/article_2f8b7168-3edd-11e4-bc01-001a4bcf6878.html

CHICAGO – There were 240 Blue Demon student-athletes and managers gathered in McGrath-Phillips Arena on Tuesday as the DePaul Athletics Department Orientation program approached its conclusion.

They listened intently as Sr. Katie Norris, Director of Catholic Campus Ministry, prepared them for a special service project they were about to undertake.

Before long, the student-athletes were spread out across the arena floor and began to make blankets.

Sister Katie told them about the 600 children in day-care programs at the St. Vincent de Paul Center and the Marillac House whose parents were either working or attending school in an effort to better their families’ lives.

“The children use the fleece blankets when taking their naps,” Norris said. “Being away from home, lying in a cot six inches off the ground—and the lights go out. It can be an uncomfortable feeling for a two-year-old. They cuddle up with their blankets and find comfort.

“The first thing a child does when he or she gets the blanket is start hugging it to their face because it’s so soft. They get excited when the student-athletes—the children call them ‘the big people’— come in with the blankets. Some of the children only come up to the athlete’s knees, and they’ll give them a knee hug.

“These blankets are such a source of comfort for the kids. Their parents are working or going to school, and we are lending a hand to help them get their lives together.”

Freshman men’s soccer player Alessandro Thomas from Sigonella, Italy was putting his own personal touch on the blanket he was designing.

Thomas has played in three games during DePaul’s 2-2 opening run and started in the 4-3 comeback win Sept. 1 at Green Bay. The rookie forward picked up his first collegiate point with an assist on Anthony Hunter’s golden goal in overtime.

“A large group of people have come together during Orientation to talk about bringing pride to DePaul and having success in all the different athletic programs,” Thomas said. “I’ve been learning a lot.

“Making the blankets is a great way for us to give back to the community. I’ve always enjoyed doing things that help children and always been fond of giving back to the community. I make it a personal goal to try and help those who are less fortunate than we are.

Freshman softball player Hannah Hosty from southwest suburban New Lenox said she had a better understanding of DePaul’s mission after participating in Orientation 2014.

“Orientation is a great program where you get to meet student-athletes from other teams,” Hosty said. “You are a part of more than 200 athletes who learn what the expectations are for us in the upcoming school year.

“It’s really great to help so many children with these blankets. It gives them something they can hug during their naps. This project speaks to the character and humility of DePaul.

“It’s important that all of us gathered in one place and learned about St. Vincent de Paul and what he believed in so strongly. Making the blankets was a great team-bonding exercise, we got to know other athletes and we had a good time while doing it.”

Sister Katie saw a correlation between making blankets and the work of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, co-founders of the Daughters of Charity.

“A lot of what St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac did was involved with community service and helping the less fortunate,” Norris said. “This is a good way for the student-athletes at DePaul to learn about that mission and to give back to the community.

“They have been blessed with the gift of athleticism, and with this project, they now have an opportunity to do something for the children. I absolutely love what DePaul’s student-athletes are doing.

“St. Vincent and St. Louise would match up resources with those in need. With this project, I think it’s a wonderful way of matching the athletes’ energy and enthusiasm for the benefit of so many children at the two day-care centers.”

Source: http://www.depaulbluedemons.com/genrel/091114aaa.html

DURHAM, N.H. — Several University of New Hampshire student-athletes volunteered at Durham’s annual 700 Family Yard Sale at The Church of St. Thomas More on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Transferring their effort from the field to a gigantic yard sale, volunteers helped with the set up, organization, sales and clean up of the event. These student-athletes also worked together to deliver large items such as furniture and pianos personally to buyers’ homes.

“The work of our athletes on Friday and Saturday was a huge help to the organizers,” said Cathy Coakley, coordinator of student-athlete development. “The response from them, other volunteers and townspeople about our athletes’ participation, work ethic and interaction has been truly outstanding. This event would never be the success it is without the help of UNH athletes.”

For more than three decades, the sale has joined families from around the Seacoast region together to raise money in support of church needs and to help replenish the food bank for Durham, Lee, Madbury and Nottingham. Available items included clean clothing, furniture, books, appliances, DVDs, musical instruments, sporting goods and freshly baked goods.

Check out UNHWildcats.com or follow the Wildcats via social media on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UNHWildcats), Twitter (@UNHWildcats), YouTube (www.youtube.com/UNHAthletics) and Instagram (@UNHWildcats) for the latest news and information on all 20 varsity sports. To learn more about Wildcats in the Community, look for the Wildcats in the Community page presented by Kennebunk Savings.

WASHINGTON, DC – The University of the District of Columbia women’s lacrosse team volunteered at the DC Central Kitchen on Friday, September 12. The team helped prepare food in the kitchen for three hours, cutting, slicing, mixing, and stirring in an effort to serve the local community.

The DC Central Kitchen prepares 5,000 meals daily, that it then distributes to homeless shelters, transitional homes, and other nonprofit organizations across the city. The organization also provides culinary job training to unemployed men and women in the city who want to break into a new career.

Many of the players on the team were impressed by DC Central Kitchen’s many programs to help DC unemployed. Team newcomer Dominique Dotson appreciated the fact that DC Central Kitchen helps the unemployed become self-sufficient.

“I found this to be a great way to give back, but also allow those who have to eat at the kitchen to not be dependent on [the food they get], but actually acquire the skills to get a job in the culinary field,” Dotson said about the job-training program at the kitchen. “I would definitely go back to help them again.”

In addition to serving the community, the team also took a lot out of the experience themselves.

“The Central Kitchen was a wonderful experience for me,” another team newcomer, Genevieve Martinez said. “As a life-long DC resident, it showed me how important it is to help your city and the people who need help. It felt good.”

In addition to helping the community, the project provided a chance for the team to bond off of the lacrosse field as they begin to prepare and build team chemistry for the program’s second season this spring.

“For our team, I think that gathering and doing activities outside practice will help us get closer and makes it easier for us to cooperate and achieve our many goals,” senior midfielder Lana Oudat [Architecture – Damascus, Syria/University of Damascus) said.

According to head coach Melynda Brown, being a college athlete is a privilege and is often taken for granted. With that in mind, she thinks this service project was a great opportunity for her team.

“I believe working at DC Central Kitchen was eye-opening and a humbling experience for our team,” Brown said.

The team hopes to continue its partnership with DC Central Kitchen in the future and plans to return to the kitchen in November.

Source: http://www.udcfirebirds.com/sports/wlax/2014-15/releases/20140915q96tte