Cookie Project!

Each year around Christmas EC likes to do something "extra" to assist The Night Ministry, an organization serving Chicago's runaway youth, individuals who are homeless, the uninsured and underinsured. To assist these folks in need, the EC Honors Program is sponsoring a cookie project and they need your help!

A group will be gathering to sort and bag Oreo cookies in the Founders Lounge (Frick Center) from 11:00am to 2:00pm on Thursday, December 6th. There are almost 4,000 cookies that need to be divided and bagged, so please come out! Stop by anytime - even a few minutes helps out!

For additional information, contact Nikol Bakka, ECHO Service Committee Chair at BakkaN@Elmhurst.edu.

Thanksgiving Basket Distribution

On Saturday, November 17th, a group of Elmhurst College Students and St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church confirmation candidates traveled to Woodridge to assist in the Woodridge Community Pantry Thanksgiving Basket Distribution. Participants helped clients to pick up their holiday food basket, collected and loaded any unclaimed food into a truck bound for the pantry, and then assisted in unloading and soring at the pantry. The group did a great job and had the opportunity to learn about hunger in the Chicagoland area -- especially in the suburbs.

During the experience, the group contributed over 42 hours of community service. According to national estimates of the cost of volunteer hours, this is equal to approximately $800 worth of work! Thanks to everyone who participated for their great work and positive attitudes.

Click the link to see photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/laura.wilmarth/November2007MSP

November Monthly Service Project

Come out on Saturday, November 17th to assist with Thanksgiving food basket distribution! We'll be working at the Woodridge Community Center in Woodridge, IL to share food with neighbors as we approach the holiday. Here's the scoop:

What: Thanksgiving food basket distribution

Where: Woodridge Community Pantry

When: Saturday, November 17th -- from 9 am to around 1 pm

How: Register yourself or your group in the Student Affairs Office, 240 Frick Center by Wednesday, November 14th -- SPACE IS LIMITED!

Transportation and continental breakfast will be provided.

Contact Laura Wilmarth Tyna at wilmarthtynal@elmhurst.edu or (630) 617-3687 with questions, concerns, or to register.

Sponsored by the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and Campus Security

Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra

Picture courtesy of Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra website at: http://www.elmhurstsymphony.org/orchestra.asp

As the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra continues to grow into a highly regarded regional orchestra, they are looking to expand their volunteer base. One immediate need is for some ushers at upcoming concerts this year. In return for their work as ushers, volunteers would gain free admission to some very high quality performances. Upcoming dates are Sunday 11/18 at 3 p.m., Saturday 1/12 at 7 p.m., Sunday 2/17 at 3 p.m., and Saturday 5/17 at 7 p.m.

If you are interested in assisting, contact Jim Kulich by email at jimk@elmhurst.edu. Thanks!

Oak Brook Park District Event

The Oak Brook Park District is hosting a "Spook-tacular Halloween Party" and they need your help!

The event consists of carnival and blowup games for children 4- 10 years old. Staff volunteers (that's you!) will be in charge of running one of the simple carnival games, supervising the blowup games, or assisting with the prize table.

When: Wednesday, October 31st from 5:30-8pm

Where: The gym @ the Family Recreation Center, 1450 Forest Gate Rd. in Oak Brook

Who They Need: 15-20 volunteer staff members for the event

Anyone interested can contact Greg Stephens at gstephens@obparks.org (630) 645-9561

EC Make a Difference Day

What a great day! About 15 EC students and staff, along with a number of community members headed out on Saturday, October 20th for the first ever EC Make a Difference Day! Groups assisted at two local sites for about 3 1/2 hours and contributed a total of over 50 hours of service!

Sites included the Sheldon Peck Homestead in Lombard (pictured above), where the group prepared the garden for winter and cleaned an area of the homestead land, including the woodpile. While they were there, the group also toured the homestead and learned about the important role that Peck played in the abolitionist movement in the mid to late 1800s.

Another group traveled to the Elmhurst Great Western Prairie about a mile from campus. The group collected seeds from various prairie plants and learned about the history of prairie land in Illinois. Working with a group of committed prairie volunteers, the group also had the opportunity to learn more about Elmhurst and the plot of land upon which the prairie is growing.

Thanks to all of our EC Make a Difference Day participants for all of your hard work! For additional pictures from the Sheldon Peck Homestead site, follow the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/laura.wilmarth/ECMADD2007OctMSP

Work with Odyssey HealthCare (Hospice)

Odyssey HealthCare is seeking volunteers who will be part of a team who recognize that psychological, spiritual, social services, as well as medical/clinical care, can contribute to an improved quality of life for patients near the end of life.

Minimum commitment of 2 times a month!

· Patient Visit Volunteer -- Visiting our patients to provide companionship and support through conversation, leisure activities or by being a supportive presence.

· Special Projects -- Complete special projects at our office, or in the comfort of your home. Projects may include: baking cookies, preparing packets or completing craft projects, just to name a few. This is a great option for students who want to work as a group!

· Bereavement Volunteer -- Provide bereavement support in a variety of ways, such as phone calls, emails, funeral visits or visiting the family.

· Administrative Volunteer -- Provide office support through clerical duties, such as data entry, filing, or phone calling.

· Professional Volunteer -- Use your education and/or area of expertise to aide our program. Assignments may include: marketing, legal projects, massage therapy, music therapy, pet therapy etc.

Call Emily at 847-718-0517 or email: eschwadron@odsyhealth.com to get involved.

Lions Club Needs HELP!

Opportunity #1:

On Wednesday, October 10th at 8:30 am, there will be a pumpkin delivery to the Lions Club Pumpkin Patch at The Abbey (407 St. Charles Rd., Elmhurst). They will need people to unload the pumpkins from the crates. There will also be opportunities to volunteer at the pumpkin patch to sell pumpkins. The hours of operation are nightly from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm and weekends from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. Any number of hours worked are appreciated.
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Opportunity #2:

Candy Day is Friday October 12th. Candy and vests are provided to those who would like to pass out candy for donations. There are several intersections throughout Elmhurst, as well as areas for those who do not wish to deal with moving traffic such as the train station, City Centre, grocery stores, or the College. Candy sales begin at 6:00 am and continue until 6:00 pm. Again, any number of hours worked are appreciated.

Proceeds collected by the Elmhurst Noon Lions will benefit the hearing and sight needs of those in the community.

For information or to volunteer, you can contact Filomena Horvath at horvathf@elmhurst.edu 630.617.3788 or Josh Bretl at jbretl@irastore.net 630.993.8222.

Make a Difference Day- October 20, 2007

CALLING ALL STUDENTS, STAFF, and FACULTY!!

October 20th is Make a Difference Day, a national day of community engagement during which people from all over the country will step out for a day of service. For the first time, Elmhurst College will host EC Make a Difference Day, an opportunity for individuals and groups to get involved in our area. Here are the details:

WHO: Campus organizations, groups, and individual students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to get involved!

WHAT: EC Make a Difference Day

WHEN: Saturday, October 20th from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm—transportation and lunch will be provided.

WHY: To get involved in the local community and contribute something meaningful.

HOW: Sign up in room 240 of the Frick Center or email Laura Wilmarth Tyna at wilmarthtynal@elmhurst.edu. Registration will close at 4:00 pm on Monday, October 15th. Call the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement at (630) 617-3687 with questions.

Service at PHD

What a great group! On Saturday, September 29th, a group of 16 EC students and staff headed to Palatine, IL for a service project. We worked with an organization called the Society for the Preservation of Human Dignity, a counseling center for women who are pregnant or have children under the age of 3. While there, the group painted rooms utilized for individual counseling, assisted with moving packages of gifts that will be distributed during the holiday season, and sanded and painted the front door. Overall, the group contributed 40 hours of service, the equivalent of a $750.00 project, according to 2006 estimated dollar value for volunteer time.*

*Note: This value is estimated by the Independent Sector a "nonpartisan coalition of approximately 600 organizations [that] leads, strengthens, and mobilizes the charitable community."

Service Hours Tracking

If you or your student organization participates in service, please share your good work with the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement. We are working to track the number of service hours contributed at Elmhurst this year and we'd like to include your efforts! Since we know that so many student organizations and individuals serve here at the college, we want to be able to tell everyone what we're doing and help others to get involved, too! So, if you're doing service, contact Laura Wilmarth Tyna at wilmarthtynal@elmhurst.edu to report your hours.

Thanks!

September Monthly Service Project

Do you enjoy community service? Are you looking for a way to fit service into your schedule? Do you want to change the world?

If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, then consider getting involved with the Monthly Service Project initiative through the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement. Each month, Elmhurst College community members will be invited to participate in an off-campus service project on a Saturday morning. Transportation and breakfast will be provided. Upcoming Monthly Service Projects dates include:

Saturday, September 29th – Painting project with the Society for the Preservation of Human Dignity (http://www.sphd.org/contact.shtml)

Saturday, October 27th – EC Make a Difference Day (includes a variety of service sites)

Saturday, November 17th – To be announced

Stop by the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement in room 240 of the Frick Center or email wilmarthtynal@elmhurst.edu to sign up!

EC Serves unveiled!

The Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement is pleased to offer EC Serves, a one-stop shop for involvement opportunities in the local community. The blog will be updated on a regular basis with the timely need for Elmhurst College students who want to serve and contribute to making positive social change in the world. Check back often and don't forget to bookmark EC Serves on your computer!