Happy New Year

I tend to mark my life by big events, not the numerical year they happened on. This means I have to stop and think when people ask me for a date or how long I've been doing something. The start of school in August/September is one of the big markers; it's almost bigger than January 1st. So! A new year, full of possibilities as the leaves turn crunchy and change color, the air gets crisp, hot soup becomes appealing, and I dig out my big down comforter for the winter.

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING:

• Day of Service! I'm tallying the numbers with Christina, but we had an awesome turnout and a beautiful day! (it only rained for a bit during registration). Ma'ayan has an awesome blog post about Day of Service 2010 here: http://blogs.oberlin.edu/community/community_service/serve_it_up_obi.shtml
• The BCSL had it's first Open House in Daub House, and it was a huge success! Over 115 people showed up for tasty lasagna and pizza from Lorenzo's. Make sure and drop by to find a service site for the year; Andy's conducting a bunch of America Reads tutor interviews and Donna is meeting with all the Bonners.
• Classes started! All of a sudden the sidewalks are crawling with students. Best of luck, getting your schedule set.
• I went to the big Ohio Benefit Bank Conference in Columbus on Sept. 1 and 2. So many people doing so many good things to lift people out of poverty! Very thought provoking, emotional, and educational. The most interesting tidbit my brain latched onto was this paraphrased quote from a lady whose name I can't remember: "Sometimes people ask me 'What's new in hunger?' And I say NOTHING. Nothing is new in hunger. People are hungry and they need food, and that's all there is to it." And I thought yep, that's all there is to it.

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Upcoming BCSL events direct from the email of the wonderful Sarah Ho:

Community Connections Fair
Thursday, September 16, 2010
4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Wilder Bowl (Rain site: Science Center Atrium)
Student Organizations, religious communities, and non-profit agencies will gather to distribute information about their programs and answer any questions you might have! Stop by and find your perfect service site!

Winter Term Workshops
Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 4:30pm: Science Center Room A154
Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 7:30pm: Science Center Room A154
One of the most valuable tools in college career development is the experiences you have in your field of interest. In this workshop, learn what resources are available to you in finding a winter term internship, what you need to prepare, and how to use networking techniques to find your ideal experience. Co-hosted by the Bonner Center for Service & Learning and the office of Career Services.

Gearing Up

Incoming Freshman: It's not too late to sign up for the 14th annual Day of Service! (you may also fill out page 57 of the Big Book of Forms).
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Things are starting to get crazy at the BCSL. As school approaches, the majority of the staff is hurrying to get things done, be it recruitment or reports or public relations or last minute details. We also welcomed Avi (Policy Options Intern) and Sarah Ho (Civic Engagement Intern) back to after their summer travels. Yay! Tuesday's staff meeting had a full table and a high laugh volume.

As a student, I am used to the craziness starting on the first day of school, so it is interesting to see the craziness from the flip-side. First year students don't arrive for two weeks, but Avi thought he spotted one out the window yesterday. Here's what the pre-student organized chaos looks like:

Day of Service: Christina, DOS Coordinator, is reporting 370 freshmen are signed up, which breaks last years records! (And you can still sign up!) She has the site leader t-shirts coming and is getting ready for a last wave of recruitment.

LEADS: Brenda, LEADS and CSWSP Coordinator, is working out the last minute details on the LEADS schedule, looking for paint, and trying to come up with menu items. The LEADS opening dinner is this Sunday!

Bonner Scholars: Donna, Director of the Bonners, is working on the fine details for the Baby Bonner orientation and looking for one last 2014 candidate.

BCSL, general: Beth, Director of the BCSL, is disappearing to undisclosed locations for stretches of time so she won't be bothered while putting the final touches on a major report that is due really soon.

Education Outreach: Andy Frantz, who directs programs related to education, is handing out schedules for Education Discussion Lunches and America reads tutoring orientations as well as organizing the launch of the Oberlin-wide book reading of Farenheight 451.

Events: Sarah Ho, Civic Engagement Intern, jumped right back into the thick of it by planning madly for the BCSL Open House during orientation and ordering tasty food for the Baby Bonners.

Food Policy: Avi (Policy Options Intern) is getting back into the swing of things and organizing lots of big meetings to talk about Policy Options to get the ball rolling.

Data/PR/Benefit Bank: My Benefit Bank training on Saturday was canceled, so maybe I'll have time to get some of this stuff done: I'm putting finishing touches on graphics for a BCSL Banner, the annual report, doing massive updates to the new BCSL website that will hopefully go live before students get back, aiming to have a Science Center Display done before classes start, gathering statistics for the poverty simulation, and trying to help the Benefit Bank clients trickling from OCS. And next week I'm hanging out at the Lorain County fair, promoting the Benefit Bank with Community Action. Phew.

Happy weekend!

Day of Service!

Incoming Freshman: It's not too late to sign up for the 14th annual Day of Service!  (you may also fill out page 57 of the Big Book of Forms)

The registration tables at Day of Service 2009, outside of Finney Chapel.

What is Day of Service, you ask?  AWESOME, says I.

Day of Service is a day designated during the Oberlin College freshman orientation for newly-minted freshman to explore the greater Oberlin community by completing a day long community service project at various community partners.   It's a great chance to meet other freshman, learn about Oberlin, and get involved and make a difference.  (Facebook group for 2010)

Make new friends!  Icebreakers from Day of Service 2009

I went upstairs to visit the Day of Service Coordinator, the delightful Christina Pope, an Oberlin alum who majored in Comparative Literature and participated in Day of Service twice--once as a freshman and once as a site leader.

"What I think is so great about Day of Service," Christina told me, "is that it gets first years out into the community the first week and gives them opportunities to meet community members."  Last year a record 371 students registered; the BCSL is hoping to get more this year. (for more stats, visit the OberlinServes Wiki)

Increasing student participants isn't the only thing Christina is working on; she's also been forging new relationships with Day of Service community partners: "I'm really excited about the new sites we're working with this year--Eden Vision and the Lorain County Community College community garden."  She also has a few more intriguing partnerships in the work that I promise I wouldn't reveal.

Day of Service 2009 participants discussing their project over lunch

Some past projects have included:

• Paint rooms at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County in Lorain.
• Stain and seal benches and weed at Common Ground, a nature center.
• Deep cleaning at Family Promise of Lorain County house in Elyria.
• Weed and mulch for Firelands Division of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
• Clear brush on a trail in Collins, Ohio, with Firelands Rails to Trails.
• Learn about biofuels and help with projects at Full Circle Fuels.
• Weed and harvest organically grown food at George Jones Farm/New Agrarian Center.
• Help Lorain’s Harrison Cultural Community Center clean and organize.
• Clean kitchen for Hot Meals Program at Christ Episcopal Church.
• Accompany retired residents of Kendal at Oberlin to an art exhibit in Cleveland.
• Help clean Lorain Metro Parks’ newest site in Avon Lake and learn about the construction process from concept to completion.
• Work in rose garden at Metro Parks-Lakeview in Lorain.
• Weed, trim rose bushes, clean, and organize at the Lorain County Tropical Greenhouse and Museum Association near Amherst.
• Assist Main St. Oberlin in sweeping, scraping, weeding downtown district.
• Visit residents at two Murray Ridge group homes.
• Paint Oberlin Early Childhood Center classrooms.
• Paint, landscape, weed at Oberlin Public Library.
• Landscaping work at Oberlin city schools (Eastwood, Prospect, Langston, and Oberlin High School).
• Prep’ work for a new garden at Oberlin Senior Center, wash front porch, and take looming lessons.
• Landscaping work at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park with Rotary Club.
• Help Save our Children in Elyria clean and organize the Center.
• Repackage food at Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio
• Clean and help maintain the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Weltzheimer/Johnson House.
• Pass out flyers and inform local businesses about Planned Parenthood program at YWCA Women’s Center of Lorain. 
• Landscaping work at Mt. Zion Community Garden.
• Weeding and harvesting from the community garden at Oberlin Community Services.
• Landscaping at Plumb Creek Bridge.

I can't express enough that it really is a great opportunity to become involved.  A lot of the projects are weeding and landscaping; this might seem dull, but it's important.

Weeding! Day of Service 2009

Many times the sites don't have the manpower or resources to complete the landscaping/gardening themselves, and having a tidy yard goes a long way towards enhancing the community.  Besides, with 10-15 people working on the project it's simply astonishing what can be accomplished in a few short hours.  I served as a site leader for 3 of my 4 years at Oberlin (Lorain County Tropical Greenhouse, Oberlin Senior Center, Oberlin Head Start) and I loved it every time.

Now stop reading and go forth to the BCSL website--register now! (or fill out page 57 in the Big Book of Forms!)

Registration, Day of Service 2009