VISTA Work

 

Click on the links below to learn more about OCC VISTA work in the following areas
Alleviate Poverty	Coordinate Service Events	Advocate for Change
Promote College Access	Plan National Days of Service	Increase Service Learning

 

Alleviate Poverty

Marietta students sort the food they have collected for the "Feeding the Dream Challenge"

Marietta – Feeding the Dream, Empty Bowls, & Community Gardens
 Marietta VISTA Amanda Dever partnered with five other community organizations for the 2nd annual "Feeding the Dream Service Challenge" on January 16. The Service Challenge allowed for volunteers from Marietta College and the local high schools to go door-to-door to collect food items within the local area. The service project resulted in the collection of more than 570 non-perishable food items, about $120 in cash and several gift cards. Also, Marietta Community Foundation and Ohio Dominion, as part of the "Feeding the Dream Challenge" donated $10,000 towards the effort. All of the money and items were distributed among the nine area food pantries. After the service challenge, speaker L.T. Williams led a discussion and reflection about poverty, hunger, homelessness and Dr. King's dedication to social justice.
 On October 24th, Marietta College VISTA Amanda Dever helped organize over 250 volunteers at 30 different service sites across Marietta and Washington County in honor of Make a Difference Day. Dever focused on hunger relief efforts, which resulted in over 3,050 cans collected for local food pantries, over 40 bowls created for an Empty Bowls meal planned for the spring, two community gardens winterized, two cold frame gardens built for a local school, and over 75 people served at a free community meal.

Univeristy of Akron
 A good time was had by all at the first-ever Happy Holidays Party for veterans at the University of Akron on December 3rd!  Approximately 40 veterans and their family members, including children, shared an evening of festivities, food, and fun hosted by Janet Corey, the OCC VISTA who is UA’s Veterans Services Coordinator.   Santa (an Air Force veteran himself!) was in attendance, and spent the evening visiting with children and giving them early presents.   He was ably assisted by his six elves, students from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, who purchased the toys, wrapped them, and donated their time and talent to decorate the room and set out the food.  Corey obtained over $300 in party platters from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.   After the party, one of the attendees wrote this to the UA Provost:  “I would just like to take a moment of your time to let you know how much my wife, step-daughters and I appreciated the Veteran's Holiday gathering coordinated by Ms. Jan Corey and the remainder of the UA Veteran's Assistance staff.  Besides the tremendous job they did coordinating everything (food, drinks, gifts for the kids, etc) they have to be some of the most appreciative and personable people I've met during my tenure.  With the level of improvements this staff is making towards assisting veterans, I must admit I wish I had more than one semester before graduation since all I can see is nothing but a brighter horizon towards the level of care and concern for fellow veterans enrolled or wishing to enroll.”

UA Vets Lounge

 There are more than 1,000 students at the University of Akron who are also military veterans.  While their military experience ranges from serving in Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, and Operation Desert Storm, most are recent veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Some are attending college as disabled veterans receiving VA vocational rehabilitation benefits for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries.  Many experience some degree of stress as a result of their military service and their transition to college life.  As part of her assignment to develop partnerships with local organizations serving veterans, Janet Corey, OCC VISTA and UA Veterans Services Coordinator, met with a counselor/therapist from the local Veterans Administration clinic, Edith Turner, to explore ways that Turner could provide outreach services to UA’s student-veterans.  During Spring semester, Turner plans to spend two afternoons a month in the UA Student-Veterans R&R Lounge casually meeting with students and promoting her services.  Corey is looking for private and confidential space on campus where Turner can provide individual counseling to student-veterans by appointment.  Corey will also be scheduling presentations by Turner for student-veterans and their family members on such topics as stress management and how to obtain counseling services.

Advocate for Change
UF, Defiance, and Mercy (Joint effort)
 On Tuesday, January 19th, University of Findlay VISTA Rachel Powell, Defiance College VISTA Nicolas Weber, and Mercy College VISTA Nancy Surella put on an “Overcoming Adversity” Panel Event in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The event honored King’s idea of “Equality for Everyone.”  Our goal was to create an event in order to educate and create awareness of poverty. We hosted five panel members who spoke on the topics of homelessness, hunger, drug abuse, AIDS and other medical problems, underrepresented youth and prison reentry.  The panelists gave their personal testimonies of their life struggles overcoming these different poverty challenges. Then, we opened the floor for questions. We had over 150 people present, including community members, faculty, staff, and students.
 The surveys were very positive. Here are the results: 
 91% responded that the event educated them on the poverty topics discussed.
 94% enjoyed the event.
  95% said the event helped them to understand and be more aware of the hardships those in poverty go through.
  92% said that because of the event, they will be more understanding and accepting of those in poverty.

Promote College Access

Left to Right: Kelly, Katie, Jena

OSUN,DU, & COTC  (Joint Effort)– A Call to College
 Jena Pugh, VISTA at COTC, Kelly Ficker, VISTA at Denison, and Katie Rappaport, VISTA at OSU-N  are working together in Licking County to improve literacy rates and college access.  The three OCC VISTAs were highlighted in the Newark Advocate as they assisted second grade students from each of the seven Newark elementary schools.  Their projects have included helping in 2nd & 8th grade classrooms, helping with scholarship programs, and organizing a program similar to a Columbus (OSU) campus program called Blueprint:College.  They are also looking to start a parent access program.  This has been an eye-opening experinece for the three college grads.  Rappaport states that they really want to model that college-going culture for the Licking County Students.JenaKellyKatie

 

 
 

Increase Service Learning
University of Dayton
 Through Dayton youth center Adventure Central, University of Dayton VISTA Andy Badinghaus has implemented an after-school Nature Discovery Club. Eighteen youth enrolled in this program, hosted by Fairview School, experience nature in their neighborhood through inquiry-based learning once a week. Fairview School is in a state of academic emergency but is one of the five Dayton Neighborhood School Centers that are using this crisis to fuel their transformation into a hub of activity for community members of all ages.
 At these same five schools, 45 UD students in two sections of Child Psychology completed 10 hours of service-learning each. College students helped with homework, worked one-on-one with students in the classroom, assisted teachers, and helped with a variety of after-school programs. This project was made possible through Badinghaus’ efforts to create and distribute to UD faculty a list of service-learning opportunities available at the Neighborhood School Centers.