October 11, 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

• Barry Students Sort and Pack Enough Food Items to Make 18,500 Meals
• Barry Student Leader Selected for White House Conversation on Food Insecurity
• Student Managed Investment Fund Members Present Workshop on Financial Literacy to Miami ‘Littles’
• Volunteer Pre-registration for Barry Founders’ Day of Service is Underway
• National Webinar Series Being Offered Free of Charge to Faculty, Staff, and Students

Barry Students Sort And Pack Enough Food Items To Make 18,500 Meals

Service-Learning Project Helps To Relieve Food Insecurity

A 34-member group from Barry rallied to lend a hand in relieving food insecurity in South Florida earlier this month. They inspected, sorted, and packed 20,000 pounds of food items at the Feeding South Florida warehouse in Pembroke Park, Broward County.

According to Feeding South Florida, the group’s service translated into approximately 18,500 meals for people experiencing food insecurity across the region.

Participants were mainly students taking an orientation course with faculty members Adashia Franklyn, who participated alongside her students, and Dr. Hossiella Longoria.

Commenting on the experience, undergraduate William Hagen said: “It showed me how much work actually goes into providing families with this food to support them. It was a big eye opener to see what other people go through.” 

Melanie Morejon called it “an amazing experience, and very eye opening” as well. She plans to return to the warehouse in the near future to render additional service. 

Feeding South Florida is the region’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization. Mainly through food distribution, the organization serves 25 percent of the state’s food-insecure population.

The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) coordinated the service-learning project.

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Barry Student Leader Selected For White House Conversation On Food Insecurity

Barry student leader Amanda Gonzalez Garcia will participate in a conversation among college and university students and the White House next Thursday, October 21.

Titled “Bread for the World, College/University White House Conversation,” the event will take place virtually, beginning at 5 p.m.

Florence French Fagan, Bread’s senior state organizer for Florida, said: “Attendees will hear directly from student leaders and administrators about programs they have developed on their campuses and how the White House can be a catalyst in their efforts.” 

“I will be sharing the knowledge I have gained on food insecurity, what are some ways in which we can help on a legislative level, and more,” said Gonzalez Garcia, a Barry Service Corps member. “I will be part of an exceptional group of individuals who are passionate about food insecurity, as I am.” 

Participating in the conversation will be Josh Dickson, the White House senior advisor for public engagement.

Dickson, who is also deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership, will discuss the Build Back Better Plan and how it will benefit college/university students.

Bread for the World is “a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.” According to Bread, “By changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist,” the organization provides “help and opportunity at home and far beyond where we live.”

Anyone who wants to attend Bread’s College/University White House Conversation should register at <bread.org/whconversation>.

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Student Managed Investment Fund Members Present Workshop On Financial Literacy To Miami ‘Littles’

Barry’s Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) members recently made their first presentation on financial literacy in support of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami (BBBS Miami) program.

“FinFit Thursday with SMIF” was a virtual workshop presentation for BBBS Miami high-school “Littles.” The presentation was designed to encourage “financial fitness” even from an early age. 

Barry President Dr. Mike Allen, who caught a glimpse of the first SMIF workshop supporting the BBBS Miami program said: “It’s so rewarding to see our community partnerships thrive.”

Earlier this year, in January, Barry University and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami embarked on a major partnership that is expected to contribute significantly to youth mentorship while expanding institutional engagement with the community. The primary focus of the partnership is the mentoring of youth, including children of incarcerated parents, so they may achieve their full potential and all-around success.

SMIF is a student-founded and student-run investment research and management organization. Its two primary purposes are to provide experiential learning opportunities and to contribute to the well-being of the community by providing financial literacy programs.

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Volunteer Pre-Registration For Barry Founders’ Day Of Service Is Underway

Volunteer pre-registration for the third annual Barry Founders’ Day of Service is underway. Neighborhood beautification and school upkeep are among the projects planned for November 6.

Founders’ Day of Service marks the start of Founders’ Week 2021. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members will serve mainly in La Paloma, the neighborhood adjacent to Barry’s Miami Shores campus. They will assist with neighborhood beautification, school upkeep, and other projects. 

On the day of service, in-person registration check-in will take place in the Landon Events Room, starting at 7:30 a.m.

For additional information, contact the CCSI at service@barry.edu.

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National Webinar Series Being Offered Free Of Charge To Faculty, Staff, And Students

Campus Compact is presenting its 2021–2022 National Webinar Series—and Barry faculty, staff, and students may attend free of charge.

The webinars cover such topics as teaching social action, global citizenship education, civic identity, and deliberative polling. One webinar will look at ethical and collaborative relationships with community partners; another will consider how to re-imagine “community service” for full participation; yet another will focus on higher education’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Campus Compact said the series of 13 webinars “takes the great and varied work happening on the ground around the country and brings it straight to [each attendee’s] desk.” The organizers added: “Topics touch on issues of relevance to faculty, staff, students, and their partners in education and community building.” 

The series began on September 30 with a one-hour webinar on how to encourage and safeguard voting.

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. The coalition aims to “build democracy through civic education and community development.” 

The National Webinar Series is free for Campus Compact member institutions. Registration is required.

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