Illinois Campus Compact 2011-2012 Issue #2, November 29, 2011

VISTAs GROW GOOD IN DOUGLAS PARK AND

BEYOND

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On October 22, 2011 our ILCC VISTAs operating under One Good Deed Chicago and in partnership with Friends of the Parks held a very successful park clean up in Douglas Park, located in the North Lawndale community area of Chicago.

The event known as “Good Grows: A day of Service at Douglas Park,” brought over 100 volunteers out on a brisk yet beautiful Saturday morning to help beautify the large Chicago district park. Dedicated volunteers did everything

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from gathering trash and debris to mulching trees and pulling weeds. “It’s nice to have the opportunity to come out and give back to the community as a personal citizen of Chicago,” said Kim Luckey, Make a Difference Day volunteer and member of the Lawrence Hall Youth Services organization.

Concerned citizens were not the only group who showed at the event to lend a hand. Members of the City Year Fulltime Youth Service Corps were on deck to help lead groups of volunteers to their worksites and distribute tools. The White Sox Volunteer

Issue #2, November 2011

Contents:

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TURMAN VISTA HOLDS COLLEGE’S FIRST VET FAIR

FREE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS AT LOYOLA

THIS MONTH’S RESOURCES

NOVEMBER VISTA SPOTLIGHT

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Volunteers rally for the Good Grows Event

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felt at the event, eagerly braving the brisk morning temperatures to show up and help out. “ I feel great out here trying to help beautify the city,” stated Adrienne Vanorsby, a White Sox Volunteer Corps member.

According to ILCC VISTA Helen Gerety the idea for the park clean up was inspired by a routine outing with Friends of the Parks to become familiar with the condition of the parks in the Chicago area. At the conclusion of their visits to various parks in Chicago, VISTAs Helen Gerety and Jamie Brisco-Riggs thought that it would be impactful to hold a park clean up in honor of National Make a Difference Day,

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an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of October.

VISTA Alexandra Baird says the event served as “an opportunity to highlight One Good Deed Chicago's new plan and priorities under Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration.”

And though very successful, this park clean up is only the beginning for the VISTAs in the Mayors Office. That same week the team organized and hosted Find Your Cause, a networking event that brought together 50 non-profits to hold a mixer in Chicago’s suave Cultural Center,

GOOD GROWS (Continued)

Visit the website: http://www.onegooddeedchicago.org/#s

We’re proud to announce that Benita Rice, ILCC VISTA at Truman College, was able to assist in implementing the campus’s 1st Annual Veterans Resource Fair.

The fair, held on Wednesday November 9, 2011, provided access to resources for veterans on campus and in the community. “Vets don’t often know certain services are free and available to them, so the fair brings awareness to the available resources,” says Rice.

The 1st Annual Veterans Resource Fair featured at least 20 different community partners ranging from former vets like former 2nd Lieutenant Andrew L. Brown U.S. Army, now inspirational author, to John

TRUMAN COLLEGE VISTA HOLDS 1ST ANNUAL VET FAIR

Benita Rice (far right) stands with members of the Veteran’s Art Project Program

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Networking at the Find Your Cause event

Illinois Campus Compact 2011-2012 Issue #2, November 29, 2011

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On Monday November 14, 2011 ILLC VISTA and Community Support Specialist at the Loyola Center for Experiential Learning, Ashley Slupski organized and hosted a free development workshop for those who work with youth, particularly in schools and urban settings.

The workshop was lead by City Year Trainers Phil Horn and Kate Stoogie and covered topics such as providing adequate teacher/student support, building and maintaining relationships with young people and overall enhancement of the ways in which those who work with youth operate.

“The goal is to focus on community based organizations that serve youth,” said Schlupski. “We want them [community partners] to feel better about youth development concepts so that they’ll be able to better explain those methods to the students in their organizations who use them in their community work.”

LOYOLA VISTA GIVES FREE YOUTH WORKER DEVELOPMENT SESSION

The workshop was well-attended and included not only leaders from various community-based organizations, but also students from the Loyola community and beyond.

“The networking at these events can create new opportunities for partners as well as help renew the passion that other youth workers have for the field,” said Schlupski of the diverse crowd that gathered for the workshop.

Slupski also plans to hold more workshops in the future with the next session, a Spring Opportunities Fair being held January 25, 2012. The all day event promises more developmental workshops as well as a recruitment fair that will showcase volunteer opportunities throughout the local community. For more information on that event and the Loyola Center for Experiential Learning feel free to shoot an email to Ashley at aslupki@luc.edu.

VISTA Ashley Slupski (center) with City Year Trainers Phil Horn and Kate Stoogie

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allowing for scores of young professionals to get meaningful face time in with non-profits searching for volunteers, donors and junior board members.

Both the Good Grows and Find Your Cause events constructed by the One Good Deed team went extremely well, displaying the precise planning and thorough execution necessary for VISTA’s to make an impact on the City of Chicago’s community.

Good Grows (Continued)

OGD Chicago’s Chief Service Officer and VISTA Supervisor Jenne Myers addressing community partners in attendance at

the Find Your Cause event

http://vistacampus.org/file.php/37/LifeAfterVISTA/Non-Competitive_Eligibility_Frequently_Ask

An important topic of an October VISTA bag lunch, this link provides information concerning status after completion of one full year of service making you eligible for appointment by a federal agency into the federal competitive service and to compete for certain federal employment jobs that only federal employees are also eligible to compete for.

http://www.mesacc.edu/other/engagement/

Serves as a voice to further community college involvement in service-learning and civic engagement throughout higher education. Provides presentations, articles, syllabi, and workbook on service learning.

http://.serve.gov/stories_categories.asp?tbl_servestores_cat_id=11

The National Service blog shares stories of veterans in national service. Also includes information about tackling veteran unemployment, Vet Corps, and ways to support and honor vets.

Have an interesting or insightful link to share? Feel free to send an email to jhurley6@depaul.edu or camwoods007@gmail.com so it can be included in the next newsletter!

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Belo, a personal banking representative from Fifth Third Bank demonstrating that no matter the organization, office or title all were present to provide their services to veterans in need.

The fair also served as a tool for providing much needed recognition to some of the student veterans in attendance. Truman College President Reagan Romali, along with alderman James Cappleman of Chicago’s 46th Ward, presented Certificates of Achievement as well as gift certificates to the student veterans in attendance with both speakers acknowledging the importance of helping our veterans who return from the difficult experience of war.

“Our goal is to provide you with all the social services and educational and employment opportunities we can,” concluded Romali in her speech.

Cappleman, who’s father had served during World War II, continued with a personal account, “My father didn’t have the support he needed, so his story died with him, we must help all we can while they are here…the world is a much better place because of our veterans.”

Overall the fair was a success and helped advance part of the AmeriCorps VISTA mission by providing the many veterans and military families in attendance with tools for health, healing and wellness, invaluable aspects of human life not easily attainable after experiencing the long-reaching effects of war.

Truman Vet Fair (Continued)

Representatives from the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital stand by for guidance

regarding benefits

Truman students and vets visiting different partner tables

Sergeant Crawford, Recruiter for the National Guard, stands ready to offer

assistance and information

Illinois Campus Compact 2011-2012 Issue #2, November 29, 2011

Illinois Campus Compact

This edition’s VISTA Spotlight shines brightly on the three VISTA’s operating under the One Good Deed Chicago’s Cities of Service Initiative.

Hats off to the OGD crew for successfully completing two events within the same week, engaging at least 130+ volunteers in their park clean up project and linking at least 50 non-profit groups with many potential volunteers, advocates and junior board members through the Find Your Cause event.

Keep up the great work ladies!

NOVEMBER VISTA SPOTLIGHT

Helen Gerety, Jenne Myers (Supervisor), Jaime Brisco-Riggs and Alexandra Baird

55 E. Jackson Blvd 8th Floor Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60604