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HATTIESBURG
- If a day of community service is a good thing, then a week's worth
would be even better.
That's the
motivation behind The University of Southern Mississippi Office
of Community Service Learning's Make a Difference Week, a variation
on Make A Difference Day, starting Monday Oct. 20.
"It's
a celebration of the fact that students, faculty, staff and administration
and others come together to make a difference in our community not
just one day a year, but all year," said Hunter Phillips, assistant
director of the Southern Miss Office of Community Service Learning.
Make a Difference
Day (Oct. 25) is a national day of service sponsored by the Points
of Light Foundation. The week will include a series of community
service projects that will provide service opportunities for everyone,
from students who want to assist Habitat for Humanity build a home,
to the Southern Miss football fan that would like to make a caned
food donation or give money to breast cancer research at the Oct.
25 football game between Southern Miss and South Florida.
The weeklong
event is a student, faculty and staff-led effort, Phillips said,
and having it for a whole week gives more people an opportunity
to participate. "It will allow all members of our community
a chance to take part that works with their schedule."
Bill Prout,
who along with his wife, Cookie, operates Christian Services in
Hattiesburg, said incorporating volunteerism into a student's college
experience expands their education.
Christian Services
provides meals and housing for the less fortunate and a variety
of other outreach services in the Hattiesburg community. Southern
Miss students and other school officials will be at Christian Services
on Friday, Oct. 24, to help serve meals at with the community kitchen
operation.
"It's
great to have knowledge that you gain in the classroom, but having
that hands-on experience (through volunteerism) is also invaluable,"
he said.
To participate
in any or all of these activities, contact the Southern Miss Office
of Community Service Learning at (601) 266-5074 or volunteer@usm.edu.
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MAKE
A DIFFERENCE WEEK SCHEDULE, OCT. 20-25 |
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Monday
- Breast
Cancer March: Join students from V.I.S.I.O.N., American
Humanics, and other organizations to raise awareness and
show support. Meet at Shoemaker Square in front of The Hub
at 12:15 pm.
- After-school
at Aldersgate: Help out between 3:30-6 p.m. at the after-school
program for children in the Briarfield community downtown.
Aldersgate is located at 402 East 2nd Street. This activity
is co-sponsored by Student Government.
- Hattiesburg
Zoo: Maintaining a great zoo requires lots of work. If you
would like to help out, sign up with the Office of Community
Service Learning.
Tuesday
- Paint
Southern Miss Pink Ceremony: The Paint Southern Miss Pink
Committee invites all those would like to honor someone
close to them who has been affected by breast cancer. The
ceremony will be held from 12:15-1 p.m. on the lawn of Danforth
Chapel. In case of rain, join us in Union, Room C.
- Habitat
for Humanity: The Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity
will be working from 2:30-dusk. The construction site is
located south of town. Take Highway 49 south to the Beverly
Drive-In, turn left onto Edwards Street, go between .8-.9
of a mile and turn right onto Evans, and from Evans turn
left onto the dirt lane, where you will find the site. This
event is co-sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta.
- Palmer's
Crossing after-school: Come by and be a part of the group
mentoring, games, and tutoring with students from fourth-12th
grades at this local community center from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Take Highway 49 south; turn left at the Beverly Drive-in
and then an immediate right onto Old Airport Road. The Community
Center will be the building on your left, just across the
railroad tracks (Priest Creek Baptist Church is across the
street).
- Mississippi
Mentors: Mentoring makes a difference in a child's life,
and it could make a difference in your life, too. Come to
this informational meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Southern
Miss University Union, Room H, to get engaged with other
students and find out which program best suits you.
- Jazz
Jam: Banana Pudding will be performing at the Southern Miss
Jazz Station, located at the intersection of Hardy Street
and 31st Avenue, at 8 p.m. The $2 donation will benefit
the university's Jazz Studies program. This event is sponsored
by the Southern Miss Departments of Jazz Studies, Foreign
Languages, English, and Philosophy.
Wednesday
- Pine
Haven Family Housing: Visit with the Mississippi Mentors
as they work with middle school-aged children of Southern
Miss students to provide a safe, productive, and fun after-school
environment from 4:30-6 p.m. If you are interested, please
contact our office.
- Hattiesburg
Zoo: Maintaining a great zoo requires lots of work. If you
would like to help out today, sign up with the Office of
Community Service Learning.
Thursday
- Beautification
Day: The Harper-Wallin Family Education Center serves Hattiesburg
residents to further enrich the lives of students of all
ages. If you'd like to help freshen up their facilities,
put on your painting/work clothes and come from 3:30-5:30
p.m. To get to Family Ed, take Hardy Street toward downtown,
between the large cemetery and the library turn left onto
Green Street, past Hawkins Elementary School turn right
on Forrest Street and the center will be on your left. This
event is co-sponsored by American Humanics Student Association.
- Palmer's
Crossing after-school: Come by and be a part of the group
mentoring, games, and tutoring with students from fourth
-12th grades at this local community center from 4:30-6:30
p.m. Take Highway 49 south; turn left at the Beverly Drive-in
and then an immediate right onto Old Airport Road. The Community
Center will be the building on your left just across the
railroad tracks (Priest Creek Baptist Church is across the
street). This event is co-sponsored by the Luckyday Scholars
on the first floor of Wilber Hall.
- Kappa
Sigma Fraternity's Charity Baseball Classic: At 6 p.m.,
Kappa Sigma will face-off against Sigma Alpha Epsilon at
The Pete. The $1 admission will benefit Special Olympics.
Friday
- Blood
Drive: Want to make a difference in the lives of three people
today? Come by the Union lobby today between 10:30 a.m.-3
p.m. and know that the pint of blood you donate to United
Blood Services will help three people you may never meet.
- Community
Kitchen: Christian Services provides a meal daily. If you'd
like to help, contact our office.
- Friday
Afternoon Carnival: Loyalton assisted living facility will
have a carnival for their residents from 2-4 p.m. and they
could use Southern Miss students to work the games and help
folks play. This event is co-sponsored by UAC, Student Activities,
and V.I.S.I.O.N.
Saturday
- Saturday
is National Make a Difference Day and at Southern Miss we
will begin the day at 8:30 a.m. by meeting in the Elam Arms
gravel parking lot. There will be several service projects
from which to choose; including a neighborhood cleanup on
Dewey Street, working with children at the Family Education
Center and at Palmer's Crossing, and distributing food boxes
at Christian Services. We will return to campus for lunch
at noon.
- Lunch
will be provided for everyone who helped at any project
during the week, and will serve as a celebration of a week
of making a difference. Please meet at noon in the Rose
Garden on the front of campus for good food, good times,
and good neighbors.
- The
Institute for Disability Studies will host a canned food
drive from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in front of the Hub.
- Southern
Miss Football: Cheer on our Golden Eagles as they take on
South Florida at 2 p.m. Children from Palmer's Crossing
will be joining Southern Miss students at the game; thanks
to the Athletic Department and University Bookstore for
their donations that made this possible. Also, those in
pink shirts will collect money after the game for breast
cancer research.
Other
events will be occurring daily throughout the week, including
the following:
- Yoplait
Yogurt Lids can be dropped off at Dining Services sites
all week. Each lid results in money being donated to the
Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.
- Purchase
pink cotton candy at the Hub on Monday and Tuesday from
V.I.S.I.O.N. Proceeds support Breast Cancer Research.
- Women's
Studies will offer information on preventing Violence Against
Women. There will be a booth in front of the Hub Monday
and Friday from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Men
of Excellence will have a Penny Drop to support Breast Cancer
Research.
- A
voter registration booth will be set up in front of the
Hub by the Speech Communication Association and other campus
groups.
- Alpha
Tau Omega's Haunted House will be open Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday starting at 7 p.m., with the $5 admission benefiting
Habitat for Humanity.
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