CCSI Newsletter

Barry Volunteers Honor Civil Rights Leader on MLK Day of Service

More than 200 Barry University volunteers participated in the recent Martin Luther King Day of Service, logging 627 hours at seven sites in Miami Dade and Broward counties.

The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) coordinated the event with sponsorship from Service For Peace, a lead agency of the Corporation for National and Community Service, responsible for promoting the King Day of Service and the 40 Days of Peace campaign. Barry received a $2,500 Service For Peace grant.

“We thank Service For Peace for their support and the 209 volunteers who served,” said CCSI Program Coordinator Caitlin Geis.

The annual MLK Day of Service honors the life of Dr. King by reminding all Americans of their civic duty to serve, as well as helping members of the community to work together to solve common problems. Barry volunteers perform service on the Saturday preceding the King Holiday.

The CCSI has organized various activities for the 40 Days of Peace campaign, which runs from January 20 through February 28. For further information, contact Geis at cgeis@barry.edu or 305-899-5465.

Local Businesses Support MLK Day of Service

Six local businesses made donations to support this year’s Martin Luther King Day of   Service.

CCSI Administrative Assistant Yleinia Galeano requested and received donations from BJ’s Wholesale Club of Hialeah Gardens, Costco Wholesale (North Miami Beach), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (North Miami), Publix, Whole Foods Market (North Miami), and Winn-Dixie Marketplace (North Miami).

Volunteers Help to Give “Gift of Play” to Children

Barry students were part of a group of volunteers who recently assisted SOS Children's Villages–Florida in giving “the gift of play” to children. The volunteers, representing Florida Campus Compact (FLCC) member institutions, created a playground in the foster care neighborhood in Coconut Creek, which is home to up to 75 boys and girls.

SOS Children’s Villages wrote about the playground project in the winter 2013 issue of its Village Voice newsletter.

“Recreation and activities are just as important to our children’s lives as food and shelter,” the newsletter article said. “Creating a place to play on our SOS campus has been an important dream for many at the Village.” 

The newsletter listed Barry and five other FLCC member institutions among groups that came together to build the playground and fulfill the dream.

Student to be Selected for Newman Award Nomination

The CCSI will select one of this year’s Community Impact Award nominees as a possible nominee for Campus Compact’s Newman Civic Fellows Award.

The nomination/application deadline for all Community Engagement Awards has been extended to Friday, February 7. Information is on the CCSI homepage (click on the Awards image).

“Newman Civic Fellows are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change,” according to a statement from Campus Compact, the national coalition of university leaders promoting civic engagement.

For information on how to recommend a student, contact CCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowen at gbowen@barry.edu.

Inaugural Event Scheduled for March 12

The inaugural Community Engagement Symposium will be held on Wednesday, March 12, on Barry’s main campus, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration details will be announced soon.

Faculty Learning Community Meets on Wednesday

The next Faculty Learning Community (FLC) meeting and community engagement seminar will be held this Wednesday, February 5, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., in Adrian 208. FLC members are urged to attend. For further information, contact Dr. Celeste Fraser Delgado, FLC facilitator, at CFraserDelgado@barry.edu.

Service-Learning Workshop Set for Feb. 13

“Reflection: Strategies for Connecting Objectives to Service-Learning Activities” is the topic of the service-learning faculty workshop scheduled for February 13. The 90-minute workshop, from 4:00 to 5:30, will be held in Adrian 208. To register, send an e-mail to either of the service-learning faculty fellows, Dr. Pamela Hall, phall@barry.edu, or Dr. Celeste Fraser Delgado, cfraserdelgado@barry.edu. The original workshop, “Does It Work? Assessing and Disseminating Service-Learning Outcomes,” will be scheduled for a later date.