Cougars Volunteer

BLOG SITE HAS MOVED

2010-01-07T10:56:00.002-05:00

BLOG SITE HAS MOVED

2010-01-06T15:13:00.002-05:00

Visit us @ our new blog for UP TO DATE information!
BLOGS.COFC.EDU/VOLUNTEER

We're on Twitter!!

2010-01-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

@CofCVolunteer

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T09:45:00.002-05:00

2009-12-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

MLK CHALLENGE

Check out our NEW MLK Challenge blog!

(Under "Our Programs" in the right sidebar)

MLK Challenge

Mark your Calendars!

2009-12-07T11:00:00.003-05:00

SAVE THE DATE
MLK Challenge///Monday, January 18
Homecoming 2010 - Cougars Taking Action///Wednesday, February 3
Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!
To sign up, e-mail Volunteer@cofc.edu.

MLK Challenge - Reserve your spot today!

2009-11-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

MLK Challenge is Back!
Save the Date—January 18, 2010
Registration starts today!
Email volunteer@cofc.edu to sign up.

The College of Charleston’s MLK Challenge is back! On January 18, 2010, we will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by sending teams of students out into the community. Each team will have 6 hours, $75, and a van to complete a service project for a local non-profit organization.

Click Here for more information about MLK Day of Service.

Next Semester!

2009-11-23T14:42:00.003-05:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!!
The semester is almost over! It's time to mark your calendar for MLK Challenge and our Homecoming Service Project: Cougars Taking Action! Check back next semester to find out more information about how to reserve your spot!

Monday, January 18 ||| MLK Challenge
Wednesday, February 3 ||| Homecoming:Cougars Taking Action

Veteran's Day

2009-11-09T17:49:00.003-05:00

Drop by Cougar Mall on Veteran's Day (Wednesday, November 11) between 11:30a and 1:30p to learn more about the various opportunities during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. If slots are still available, you will be able to sign up for the Poverty Simulation, Service Saturday, Food for Thought Series and more! See you Wednesday!

Poverty Simulation

2009-11-06T13:29:00.003-05:00

It's not too late!
You can sign up to be a participant in the Poverty Simulation.

Monday, November 16
Stern Center Ballroom
4:00 p.m. - Mayor Riley's Hunger & Homelessness Proclamation
5:00 p.m. - Poverty Simulation (Sign up begins at 4:30p)

For more information or to sign up today, e-mail Volunteer@cofc.edu

The Missouri Community Action Poverty Simulation is presented in cooperation with East Cooper Community Outreach

Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week

2009-10-30T11:27:00.001-04:00

Click on the photo for more info about Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week!

Poverty Simulation

2009-10-28T09:59:00.002-04:00

Hunger & Homelessness
Awareness Week
November 15-21, 2009

STUDENTS! Join us for College of Charleston’s
Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week Kick-Off!

Monday, November 16

8:45 a.m. – FREE T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY! (Cougar Mall)
The first 100 students to come by Cougar Mall will get a free t-shirt! Wear your free t-shirt on that day to help spread awareness about Hunger & Homelessness in our community!

4:30 p.m. – Mayor Riley’s Annual Hunger & Homelessness Proclamation (Stern Center Ballroom)
Come hear Mayor Riley give his annual Hunger & Homelessness Proclamation in the Stern Center Ballroom.

5:00 – 5:15 p.m. – Poverty Simulation Registration (Stern Center Ballroom)

5:15– 7:45 p.m. – Poverty Simulation (Stern Center Ballroom)
The Poverty Simulation provides participants with the opportunity to assume the role of a low-income family member for a simulated one-month period. Some participants will be TANF recipients, some will be disabled, some will find themselves homeless, and others will be senior citizens on Social Security. Throughout the activity, participants will have to provide basic necessities, attend school and work, pay bills, and interact with social services.

** Light refreshments will be provided.

Registration:

Registering is easy! To take on the role of a family member in the Poverty Simulation, please e-mail Volunteer@cofc.edu or call 953.5838. The registration deadline is Monday, November 2.

Since participants will be assigned to the role of a family member, it is VERY IMPORTANT that if you sign up to attend that you actually show up. Poverty Simulation participants should also attend the Mayor’s Proclamation.

Poverty Simulation is presented in cooperatoin with East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO)

Alternative Spring Break

2009-10-26T16:31:00.002-04:00

Alternative Spring Break Applications are now available!
Applications are due in the Community Service Center (Lightsey 203) by Monday, Nov. 2.

ASB Application

Dash for Trash

2009-10-26T12:17:00.005-04:00

We had a great turn out for Dash for Trash this weekend! Over 100 students came out and collected 920 pounds of trash (that’s not including recycling or any tires)!
Check out more pictures: Here

2009 Dash for Trash Team Participants
SGA
Biology Club
Alpha Phi Omega
Individual Group
Volunteer Corps
Honors College
Student Alumni Associates
Student Peace Alliance
Black Student Union
Beta Alpha Psi
Alliance for Planet Earth
Sociology Club/Anthropology Club/Golden Key

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Bodacious Bagels
South Carolina Aquarium
Norm's
Zappos Pizza
Blue Bicycle Books
Starbucks Coffee

Alternative Spring Break Open House

2009-10-12T10:11:00.003-04:00

Got Spring Break Plans?

Come by the Alternative Spring Break Open House for information on this year's trips and to pick up an application!

Wednesday, October 21
4:30p-6:30p
Stern Center Lobby

How are we doing?

2009-09-28T15:49:00.002-04:00

Let us know how we're doing! If you're a College of Charleston student, please consider taking our very short survey! Your feedback is appreciated.

Click Here to take survey

2009-09-18T10:47:00.006-04:00

Dash for Trash 2009
Register individually or create your own team of up to ten people.

Join the Community Service Center in our litter collecting scavenger hunt! Each type of litter will have a point value associated with it (20 oz. bottle of cigarette butts—15 pts, trash bag of recyclable bottles—5 pts, etc).

Saturday, October 24
Liberty Square*
10:00am-1:30pm
Participants should arrive by 9:30am.

FREE LUNCH, FREE PARKING & PRIZES!

Prizes will be awarded for Most Points,
Most Recyclables & Most Team Spirit.

TO REGISTER: E-Mail Volunteer@cofc.edu or stop by the Community Service Center (Lightsey Center, Rm. 203) by October 14. If you are registering a team, team leaders MUST provide names and e-mail addresses of all team members.

*Liberty Square is the park located in front of the Aquarium at the end of Calhoun Street (Calhoun at East Bay).

Neighborhood Clean-Up...A Success!

2009-09-14T10:22:00.016-04:00

Nearly 60 College of Charleston students came out this weekend to help clean-up Elliotborough Cannonborough Neighborhood. Students made new friends and picked up bags and bags of trash.

Had fun? Weren't able to make it this weekend? Stay tuned for more information on Dash for Trash (October 24)!

Want to see more photos? Find Elliotborough Cannonborough Neighborhood Association and CofC Community Service Center on Facebook .

2009-09-11T10:09:00.004-04:00

Want to get our e-mails?
Sign up for our Listserv!

Subscribing to volunteer@LISTSERV.COFC.EDU

E-mail listserv@listserv.cofc.edu with "subscribe volunteer@listserv.cofc.edu YOUR FULL NAME" in the body.

example: subscribe volunteer@LISTSERV.COFC.EDU John Smith

2009-09-08T13:03:00.004-04:00

Bonner Leader Program

Bonner Program Open House
When: September 10, 5pm-7pm
Where: EHHP Building, Alumni Hall
What: Drop in for all students interested in the Bonner Leader Program

Bonner Program Drop In
When: September 14, 2pm-5pm
Where: Community Service Center, Lightsey 203
What: Drop in for all students interested in the Bonner Leader Program

What's the Bonner Leader Program??
Service Scholarship opportunity- students are place with non profits in the Charleston community for 10-15 hours/week and get to join a great group of involved students!

Check Out Our September Newsletter!

2009-09-01T12:48:00.007-04:00

Looking for volunteer opportunities both on and off campus? Check out our September newsletter for upcoming volunteer opportunities and service projects.

For more information or to sign up for service projects, e-mail volunteer@cofc.edu.

September Newsletter

Mark your Calendars

Neighborhood Clean-Up
Calling all Students! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and grab a trash bag. On Saturday, September 12, students will join together to help clean up Cannonborough & Elliotborough neighborhoods in downtown Charleston. Students will receive free gallery admission to Eye Level Art featuring Charleston jazz legend Quentin Baxter Saturday night.

To signup for the Neighborhood Clean-Up, please e-mail volunteer@cofc.edu or come by the Community Service Center today!

Fall Break Applications Available

2009-08-31T14:27:00.004-04:00

Pack your bags for Alternative Fall Break! This year, the Community Service Center is extending Alternative Break to include an Alternative Fall Break trip. Students will have the opportunity to travel to Asheville, N.C. to work with an Environmental Education center. Students will be working on edible landscapes, organic farming and sustainability projects.

Applications will be due Friday, September 18. Please bring your completed application to the Community Service Center (Lightsey Center, Second Floor, Room 203).

Fall Break Application

Welcome Back!

2009-08-18T15:59:00.010-04:00

Welcome Back!
It is time to gear up for another school year! There will be plenty of opportunities to get involved in service this year! The Community Service Center will host fun and educational service events that will allow you to serve with your friends and meet new College of Charleston students.

For more information on how to sign up for Community Service Center events, please e-mail volunteer@cofc.edu or stop by our office in the Lightsey Center, Second Floor, Room 203. Please check back often for possible changes and updates.

QUICK GLANCE: COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER UPCOMING EVENTS

Welcome Week Project
Volunteer Fair
Bonner Open House
Neighborhood Clean-Up
Bonner Drop-In
Alternative Spring Break Leader Retreat
Bonner Leaders Retreat
Alternative Fall Break
Dash For Trash

Welcome Week Project: Ronald McDonald House of Charleston
Friday, August 28
4:00-7:00 p.m.
Ronald McDonald House on Calhoun Street

Calling all Freshman! Come help us prepare a home-cooked meal for the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston on Calhoun Street. Enjoy showing off your cooking skills and get the chance to meet other new students!

Volunteer Fair
Thursday, September 10
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
George Street

Are you looking for a way to meet new people and get involved in service opportunities on campus? Come visit the Community Service Center table at the Volunteer Fair on George Street in between your classes! You will also have the opportunity to visit with local non-profit organizations to learn about exciting new volunteer opportunities for the year.

Bonner Leaders Program

Are you interested in the Bonner Leaders Program at the College of Charleston? Come to the Bonner Open House and the Bonner Drop-In Event to find out more information about the service-scholarship program that provides students with the opportunity to work in non-profit organizations around the Charleston area while developing leadership skills and supplementing their income.

Bonner Open House
Thursday, September 10
4-6 p.m.
TBD

Bonner Drop-In
Monday, September 14
2-5 p.m.
TBD

Application Deadline
Bonner Leaders Applications will be available at the Bonner Open House and the Bonner Drop-In event. The application is due on September 18. All applicants will be notified on September 24.

Bonner Leader Retreat
October 2-4
TBD

Neighborhood Clean-Up
Saturday, September 12
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Line & Bogard Street

Do you live on Line or Bogard Street? Come out and help clean up your neighborhood and meet some of your neighbors! That evening, jazz-artist Quintin Baxter will be playing at Eye Level Art. All volunteers who participated in the cleanup with receive free admission to the gallery along with refreshments.

Alternative Breaks

Alternative Spring Break Leadership Retreat
September 25-27

Are you interested in being a leader for Alternative Spring Break? Alternative Break Leader Applications will be available on September 1. Applications will be due September 14.

Alternative Fall Break: NEW THIS YEAR!
October 9-13
Asheville, NC

Applications for Alternative Fall Break will be available on September 1 and due by September 18.

Dash For Trash
Saturday, September 24
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Liberty Square

Each year, teams of students join together, grab a grocery cart and swarm into downtown Charleston searching for trash. Dash For Trash is a scavenger hunt where teams of students join together to collect trash in the community. Teams compete for prizes and to do their part in keeping their community clean. Different trash items have different values. For example, a team may get two points for picking up a hub cap, five points for an entire garbage bag of trash or 15 points for a plastic bottle filled with cigarette litter. Already have a team? E-mail volunteer@cofc.edu to reserve your spot today!

Summer of Service Kicks Off TODAY!

2009-06-22T15:56:00.008-04:00

In case you missed it, President Obama announced plans for a Summer of Service (video after the jump).

From Serve.gov:

United We Serve

"'United We Serve' is a nationwide service initiative that will help meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn. With the knowledge that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when given the proper tools, President Obama is asking us to come together to help lay a new foundation for growth. This initiative aims to both expand the impact of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work and encourage volunteers to develop their own "do-it-yourself" projects. United We Serve is an initial 81 days of service but will grow into a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to promote service as a way of life for all Americans."

What Can You Do?

Visit or contact our office to:

Find a project or opportunity
Create Your Own Project
Learn ways to recruit volunteers.

If you already have a project, don't forget to register it.

Have a great summer!

Great Volunteer Opportunity

2009-06-01T09:57:00.003-04:00

Looking to do service one day this week? Fields for Families is looking for volunteers on Wednesday, June 3 2009 to help cut collards. You will be working at Turkey Hill Farm on Plow Ground Road on John's Island. Please see the application link below....happy volunteering!

http://www.fieldstofamilies.org/volunteer-application.shtml

Summer Camps Galore

2009-05-29T13:31:00.007-04:00

Want some volunteer work, or maybe even a paycheck, for working with kids this summer? There are a few summer camps in the area looking for Cougar students.

Hey you!

What are your summer plans?

Want an excuse to go to Edisto Island and have a blast, all while making a difference in the lives of some of the coolest

kids you’ll ever meet?

SideWalk Chalk presents CREATE, a summer art and writing camp for the students of Jane Edwards Elementary in Edisto.

We are looking for volunteers to assist us in this adventure!

If you are an artist, writer, gardener, actor, or athlete, AWESOME! We’ll put your skills to use.

If you are not any of those, AWESOME! We’ll still put you to use!

CREATE is to take place over the month of July and will include workshops in short story writing, painting, poetry, photography, gardening, and much more!

We will also be putting on a play and creating a mural for the school.

Come help out for a day, a week, or the whole month.

Here are the dates and times that are available to volunteers:

Week 1:

Monday July 6th

Tuesday July 7th

Wednesday July 8th

Week 2:

Monday July 13th

Tuesday July 14th

Wednesday July 15th

Week 3:

Monday July 20th

Tuesday July 21st

Wednesday July 22nd

Week 4:

Monday July 27th

Tuesday July 28th

Wednesday July 29th

Thursday July 30th

Friday July 31st

PLEASE CONTACT JANA HODGE (843) 822–2038 OR

JOHN CASPIAN (843) 860-5348 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Target Gives Back!

2009-05-13T16:21:00.004-04:00

Voting is underway on the Target Facebook Page to decide what charity will receive 5% of Target's income each week--up to 3 million dollars! Head over to their page and let them know which charity you think is most deserving.

The candidates:

-Breast Cancer Research Foundation
-Operation Gratitude
-Feeding America*
-Parent Teach Association*
-HandsOn Network*
-Red Cross*
-Kids in Need
-Salvation Army*
-National Park Foundation*
-St. Judes Children Research Hospital

*Indicates local operations, chapters, or ties to the greater Charleston area. This information is not meant to affect your vote.

Humanitarian Trips Around the World

2009-05-08T10:32:00.004-04:00

In Travel and Leisure, eleven organizations are listed for providing excellent international service trips. The trips vary from extreme "roughing it" to more leisure trips. Most of the organizations provide trips for students. For the complete article, please click the link below.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/great-humanitarian-trips-around-the-world/1

5 Days in May

2009-04-30T14:24:00.005-04:00

Our friends at Water Missions International bring you...

One in six people don't
have access to clean water.

You will consume enough non-water beverages in 5 days to pay for 5 people to have clean water for the rest of their lives.

What if we all did it? What if, through our efforts and our friends efforts, 600 people (or your entire contact list on facebook) gave up water for 5 days? A Community of 3000 people could have clean drinking water for the rest of their lives.

Visit 5 Days in May to learn how you can make this happen.

In the News!!

2009-04-02T15:49:00.003-04:00

The Bonner Leaders' Engage and Empower week definitely made a splash! Today's Post and Courier had one of our E&E events on the front page of their Local section.

Check it out!

http://www.charleston.net/news/2009/apr/02/students_voices_heard77337/

Announcements and News!

2009-04-01T16:37:00.004-04:00

Thank you to all who participated in the Engage and Empower week. It was a huge success! Well over 150 people attended the week of events, and public response has been overwhelmingly positive. =

Also, for your viewing pleasure, we've uploaded a fantastic video chronicling the Costa Rica Alternative Break trip. If you are interested in hosting or attending an AB trip next year, let us know! We'll show you how to get started.

Engage and Empower Week - Education!

2009-03-24T12:38:00.007-04:00

The Bonner Leader's Engage and Empower week kicked off last night with its Education night. Forty students, parents, and community members gathered in the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance building to listen to reflections from students, teachers, and administrators affected by the Fraser Elementary School closing. Displayed prominently were the elementary students' stories and artwork inspired by these events. Response to the event was generally positive, and we hope that this has helped provide at least a little closure on these recent events.

Please join us at the rest of our Engage and Empower events. Schedule.

Check out our slide show to the below for some examples of the artwork.

ACTION ALERT!

2009-03-17T14:17:00.003-04:00

From Service Nation

"There are currently two bills – the GIVE Act in the House and the Serve America Act in the Senate. If both bills pass, they will be reconciled together into one bill. Both Acts propose using service as a strategy for addressing some of our most serious challenges in areas such as education, health, and environmental and energy conservation. They will give Americans meaningful opportunities to meet growing needs in their communities. The GIVE Act is about to hit the House floor, and we need to make sure it passes.

E.J. Dionne writes about this legislation in his column in yesterday's Washington Post. He says, 'Both Barack and Michelle Obama have a passion for the service idea, and...the United States is close to making its largest commitment to civilian service since the New Deal.'"

Click HERE to call on your Representative to support the GIVE Act!

Engage and Empower Week!

2009-03-11T16:33:00.004-04:00

The College of Charleston’s Bonner Leader program, in conjunction with Americans for an Informed Democracy, will host an Engage and Empower Week designed to tackle some of Charleston’s most pressing issues. Throughout the week of March 23-26, the Bonner Leader program will hold a series of activities and discussions to analyze the source and solution for a series of issues ranging from Homelessness and Hunger to Education. After each event, information will be presented on how students and citizens can engage in direct action to alleviate these problems.

The Schedule:
• Education – Monday, March 23, 7:00 pm, in the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance at 86 Wentworth St. Alumni Hall Room –How do the students of Fraser Elementary feel about the closing of their school? Presentations from students and teachers from Fraser will give a balanced view of how it is impacting the students of the community.
• Homelessness – Tuesday, March 24, 6:00 pm, in Robert Scott Small, Room 002 50 (Basement) - Join us for a panel discussion between local nonprofits and government agencies that will explore the root causes of homelessness and housing issues, what local efforts are doing to solve these causes, and how you can be a part of the solution.
• Disabilities - Wednesday, March 25, 7:00 pm, in the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance at 86 Wentworth St. Alumni Hall Room – Participants will step into the shoes of people with various disabilities. Interactive activities on how to communicate without speech, deal with the affects of autism, and how to be mobile while physically limited will bring a new understanding of the every day issues that face those that are differently abled.
• Falling Whistles “Speakeasy” – Thursday, March 26, 6:30 pm, at Kudu Coffee House - Join this informal discussion on the plight of child soldiers in Africa, how the nonprofit Falling Whistles is tackling the issue, and what you can do to help solve this crisis.

The Bonner Leader program is a group of civically engaged students dedicated to building relations between the Charleston community and the College of Charleston campus. They work to increase access to education on all levels and reduce poverty community and nationwide. These events are the first of many designed to create discussions involving issues important to the Charleston and South Carolina community.

Layout Post

2009-03-11T10:59:00.000-04:00

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

Langston Hughes

Cougars Volunteer

BLOG SITE HAS MOVED

BLOG SITE HAS MOVED

We're on Twitter!!

Happy Holidays!

Mark your Calendars!

MLK Challenge - Reserve your spot today!

Next Semester!

Veteran's Day

Poverty Simulation

Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week

Poverty Simulation

Alternative Spring Break

Dash for Trash

Alternative Spring Break Open House

How are we doing?

Neighborhood Clean-Up...A Success!

Check Out Our September Newsletter!

Fall Break Applications Available

Welcome Back!

Summer of Service Kicks Off TODAY!

United We Serve

Great Volunteer Opportunity

Summer Camps Galore

Target Gives Back!

Humanitarian Trips Around the World

5 Days in May

One in six people don't have access to clean water.

In the News!!

Announcements and News!

Engage and Empower Week - Education!

ACTION ALERT!

Engage and Empower Week!

Layout Post

One in six people don't
have access to clean water.