Public Service Ideas

[Virtual Violet]

We currently have a thread about tired topics that inspired this thread. Personally, I don't think we say enough about what type of public service we are doing, or what types we would like to see on a national or local level.

Now is the time to check in. What are you doing in your chapter or as an individual? What public service issue would you like your organization take on nationally? Why?

What have been some of the successful service projects you have participated in the past? What projects didn't you care for? Why?

I'm looking forward to the responses.

[CrimsonTide4]

Originally posted by Virtual Violet
We currently have a thread about tired topics that inspired this thread. Personally, I don't think we say enough about what type of public service we are doing, or what types we would like to see on a national or local level.

Now is the time to check in. What are you doing in your chapter or as an individual? What public service issue would you like your organization take on nationally? Why?

What have been some of the successful service projects you have participated in the past? What projects didn't you care for? Why?

I'm looking forward to the responses.

Great Topic. I would love to become more involved with our female prisoners as well as children in the foster care system.

I would love to hear what other orgs as well as other DST chapters are doing.

[Virtual Violet]

I had planned to post this thread in the other Divine Nine forums, but I realized I would get too many email notices. Hopefully, they will come over and weigh in.

I would like to see a national intiative regarding working with the elderly, especially in our neighborhoods. There are so many who don't have anyone to look after them. Plus, it would be a wonderful way to learn about our past as African-Americans.

[CkretCrush8]

What public service issue would you like your organization take on nationally? Why?

Although I'm not in an "organization" greek affliated, I would love to see my church (being that it is an influential body of people) become more active in adopting African American children currently in foster care. I work for an adoption agency (recruitment only) and there are so many people wanting to adopt infants/toddlers when there are so many 4 years and up children, both males and females, waiting for a loving home. Being that I'm 21 and NOT totally financially independen, nor residing on my own, it isn't feasible or possible for me to adopt now. But I do tell you this, as soon as I do, I will adopt a child (or two).

[ladygreek]

I would like to see Delta continue it's work around HIV/AIDS. But I would like to see us (and all BGLOs) step it up a notch. This disease is affecting our Black community so greatly that if all Nine of us came up with joint projects dealing with awareness, education, and prevention in this area just imagine the impact we could have.

[RRMDQT]

I'm glad that you posted this topic. I am not a member of a greek organization, maybe one day I will be so fortunate, but I started a program called Adopt-A-Grandparent on my campus, in November of 2000.
The purpose of it is to spend time with senior citizens living in a variety of living facilities. We visit a nursing home, a long term care center, and an assisted living facility every Saturday year round from 12:30-2:30. The time is spent playing games, talking, making arts&crafts, and whatever the residents feel like doing.
I was extremely saddened when my adopted grandfather passed away this summer after recovering from pneumonia, but I realized it was better to have gotten the chance to spend time with him for a few months than to not have met him at all. He really taught me a lot of things. I gives myself and the other volunteers pleasure when the residents are so happy for us just to come visit with them if it's not to do anything more than just talk. They actually thank us for coming to visit them.
I'm March we're going to have a pageant at one of the locations were the residents are the contestants, they perform talents and have a question and answer period. It's so cute! We did it last year and we had so much fun, the residents loved it. If anyone wants to find out more about the program please visit the website at:
http://famuadoptagrandindex.homestead.com/Index1.html
(Please sign the guestbook)

If anyone's worked with Senior Citizens before and has any ideas for any other creative things we can do please feel free to email me.

I do not hold membership in any GLO however, I do plenty of public service on my own. My main service is done through AmeriCorps. The program that I am participating in is called CAMPUS LINK. the program seeks to get individuals on Mississippi's college campuses involed with their community. Members must perform a minimum amount of hours depending on their position.
REDUCED PART TIME, EDUCATIONAL AWARD ONLY or EAO'S 381 hours.
PART TIME AMERICORPS or PTAC 900 hours
FULL TIME 1800 hours


Everyone receives an educational award. It can be used to pay tuition or pay off loans. EAO's get $1000, PTAC get $2400, full time gets $4800. Because of the number of hours required of them, full and part time members also get a small living allowance (it's nearly immpossible for you to hold a unless it's at night).
All clock at least 100 tutoring hours. After that the responsibility varies per position.

Each member must clock at least 100 tutoring hours.

Part time and full time members serve as the lead tutors at their assigned elementary school. They must also recruit volunteers to be tutors as well. As the lead tutors they are responsible for the volunteer tutors that they have recruited. They must not only tutor but make sure the volunteers are showing up, properly trained, and theymust also check on the tutors performance and progress with the children.

EAO's mainly serve as recruiters for the program. they must give group presentations in order to recruit volunteers. They must clock 100 tutoring hours. theymust also choose one community agency to perform the rest of their hours with.

Members must put on service projects throughout your year of service on special days such as Make A Difference Day, College Opprotunity Day, Martin Luther King Day, Volunteer Appreciation Week, and any other special projects that you wish to do.

Members must put together and host a community fair on their campus. This is a fair where all agencies in the area that need volunteers are invited on campus to set up booths or tables to educate the campus about their organization and its needs and recruit volunteers.

Tutoring will not give the full and part time members enough hours to fufill their service agreement so they must also do outside hours at hospitals, or community service agencies.

Outside of that their are cluster forums to attend, the statewide conference on volunteerism, a member retreat, and information training sessions.



I love campus link. I have met lots of people and did many things that I can be proud of. We work with everyone from national programs such as Habitat for humanity and Red Cross to local agencies such as The Good Samaritan Center. This is my second term of service. I started out as a volunteer for campus link. I then served as an EAO. Now I am a part time member. I wouldn't trade this experince for the world. I would love to see this program expanded outside of Mississippi.

For more information visit www.campuslink.net

[Kisha]

Hello everyone,

I am not a member of a GLO. However, public service is of great importance to me. I would not be where I am today if there were not individuals who took time out of their schedules to demonstrate love, compassion, and service.

The following are service ideas:

1) Pamper Party – free massages, manicures, pedicures, haircut, shampoo & style. This will make the elders feel good and look good, too.

2) Cleaning Services – I usually gather a bunch of youth from my church and we volunteer our cleaning services for the older members of our church.


3) Neighborhood Clean up/yard service

In addition to the above, a lot of my public service is geared toward youth. So many of our youth are hurting and need guidance. I can’t save them all, but if I can help one, then I feel that I have done my part.

I hold bimonthly rap sessions with inner city teenage girls. I generally reach out to those I see heading down the wrong path or suffer from low self-esteem. Also, I am in the process of planning a conference geared toward young women.

Because this is my heart’s passion, I could go on and on. However, I will spare you a long post.

If you would like more details, please send a PM.

Kisha

[DST_philoso4]

Where do I start.

My chapter (which is only comprised of 7 persons) is very busy. We do Project Compassion (working with senior citizens) adopt-a-highway, various projects with our university, self-esteem and stress management seminars. Black history quiz bowls, the list of what we've done, this school year alone seems almost endless.

What we plan to do
1. Cinco de Mayo celebration (Mexican Holiday)
2. International Day of Service (of course)

and several other programs to be disclosed.

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE PUBLIC SERVICE, I guess that's why I joined the hardest working sorority ever!!

keep it coming sorors, show everyone how DST holds it dowwwn

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOP

4-T-01

[Virtual Violet]

Originally posted by DST_philoso4
Where do I start.

My chapter (which is only comprised of 7 persons) is very busy. We do Project Compassion (working with senior citizens) adopt-a-highway, various projects with our university, self-esteem and stress management seminars. Black history quiz bowls, the list of what we've done, this school year alone seems almost endless.

What we plan to do
1. Cinco de Mayo celebration (Mexican Holiday)
2. International Day of Service (of course)

and several other programs to be disclosed.

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE PUBLIC SERVICE, I guess that's why I joined the hardest working sorority ever!!

keep it coming sorors, show everyone how DST holds it dowwwn

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOP

4-T-01

Cinco D Mayo....that sounds like fun!

[straightBOS]

I am a mentor to a teen girl who lives in the housing project near my school. I can see her house from my window, yet, the housing projects are so closed off from the world, she had no idea a college was so nearby.

I also work at the YWCA (the 1st in the USA, I might add) with high schoolers helping them to understand how the media views them and using their own tools- NET, newsletter, audio and video journalism to create positive portrayals.

I also prepare meals at several local homeless shelters and a meals-on-wheels program for families whose primary breadwinner is living with AIDS.


Its not that tough to fit service into a schedule. If you have a lot of friends you can go as a group and do a major program (like Meals on Wheels) together two weekends a month. And by yourself, you can do tutoring or mentoring after classes.

Also, I am unaffiliated.

[DST_philoso4]

Originally posted by Virtual Violet


Cinco D Mayo....that sounds like fun!

I hope so soror, it's something new!

[shani]

I not a member of DST but these are some public service programs that I am a part of...

1) AIDS/HIV awareness especially in high schools because where I live the rate of catching HIV is 12 times higher then the national average.

2) My school has a tutoring program for elem. and jr high students.

3) I also think that a book club type of thing would also be helpful because to be honest I NEVER have valued a good book until I came to college.

[SweetestDiva]

1) My chapter volunteers weekly at the Boys and Girls Club. I've been going since I was an interest, so it's cool because I've started to develop relationships with some of the kids.

2) We also do Meals on Wheels twice a month. This is probably my least favorite project because we have to get up at 7:00 am on Saturday mornings! Anyway, half of us cook and then half of us drive to deliver the meals. Then we go back to sleep.

3) Then of course there's the standard things like clothing drives, canned food drives, penny drives... all kinda drives, but you get the picture.

I would like the opportunity for us to work with more high-school age kids, because I think it's important for teen girls to have strong role models. I like the little kids and everything, but I would like to make more of a lasting impact.

[Gina1201]

As we know, I am not greek-affiliated. However, I work with a service projects. One is working with the local Delta Academy. Today we will be taking the girls in the Academy to a workshop entitled "Empowering Our Young Women for Today and Tomorrow". I also volunteer at the local library as much as possible. My final project is working with the local chapter of the National MS Society. I love the work that I do with this agency! Currently, we are preparing for the MS Walk which is a fundraiser. One of the reasons that I became involved with this agency is due to the fact that the majority of people who contract MS are women!!!