WHAT: RWU’s Community Connections 2009- one of the largest service programs in the region, more than 1,100 student volunteers partner with a wide range of non-profit organizations, assisting them with everything from cleaning beaches to painting and repairing playgrounds.
WHEN: Monday, August 24, 2009 beginning at 10 am- 2:00 pm (times vary, please see list below)
WHY: The daylong event—organized by RWU’s Feinstein Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement—is part of the University’s orientation program for incoming students. It’s designed to introduce them to the Roger Williams University core value of community service and allow them a chance to become active members in their new community.
FACTOIDS, QUOTES, & LINKS:
- Since the event’s inception, community service hours at RWU continue to increase every year—during the 2008-2009 academic year, student-recorded community service hours at the University totaled over 50,000
- “Now in its fifth year, Community Connections is quickly becoming a treasured back-to-school tradition at Roger Williams University,” said RWU President, Roy J. Nirschel. “Not only does it allow new students to enter their local communities as contributing citizens, it propels many of them toward future service projects throughout their college careers.”
- In 1998, RWU established the Feinstein Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement as a result of a gift from Mr. Feinstein, who funded similar programs throughout the state.
- Photo Gallery of past events
- Video of Past events
- Community Connections Website
To arrange interview and photo opportunities at one of the locations below or for information about other sites, members of the media are urged to contact Kim Sousa, on MONDAY the 24th (cell) 401-595-9299. Media inquiries can also be directed to Kathleen M. Lowe, Director of Marketing & Media Services, 401.254.5206/klowe@rwu.edu
President Nirschel will once again actively participate in Community Connections. His community involvement will include the following site visits in Bristol from 10AM – 12 PM:
Little Friends Preschool
300 High Street, Bristol
Students will spread mulch, clean and wash toys; build a new sand and flower box.
Mosaico
240 High Street, Bristol
Students will perform duties such as cleaning up Mosaico Park, cleaning up trash, weeding and planting.
East Bay Food Pantry
150 Franklin St., Bristol
Students will perform duties such as organizing and stocking food pantry shelves, checking food expiration dates, sorting thrift shop donations, and stocking the thrift shop.
RI Veterans Home Affairs Office
480 Metacom Avenue, Bristol
Students will socialize with residents. They will be playing card games, visiting, reading, walking outside, etc. They will also be participating in outdoor gardening, weeding, raking, and clearing courtyards.
SITES
Unless indicated, students will work at sites from approximately 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Please call Kim Sousa at 401.595.9299 prior to arrival to confirm exact times.
ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY
One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, R.I.
L.I.F.E. Inc.
490 Metacom Avenue, Bristol
A day of dance instruction with the RWU dance majors and France Hunter
BRISTOL COUNTY
Audubon Society of Rhode Island
1401 Hope Street, Bristol
Refuge beautification, including weeding, mulching of the front parking lot island.
Baptist Church in Warren
407 Main Street, Warren
Students will paint the interior.
Bayside Family YMCA
70 West Street, Barrington
"Students will perform duties such as cleaning and organizing storage space.
Bristol Parks & Rec./EB Bike Path
Colt State Park, Bristol
Colt Andrews Elementary School
570 Hope Street, Bristol
East Bay Food Pantry
150 Franklin St., Bristol
Students will perform duties such as organizing and stocking food pantry shelves, checking food expiration dates, sorting thrift shop donations, and stocking the thrift shop.
First Congregational Church
280 High Street, Bristol
Students will perform duties such as interior painting, washing windows, painting fences, cleaning windows and yard work.
Franklin Court Assisted Living
180 Franklin St., Bristol
Students will perform duties such as cleaning stairwells, windows in common areas, outside ground floor windows (weather permitting), and games with residents (cards, pokeno etc).
Franklin Court Independent Living (east bay cdc)
150 Franklin St., Bristol
Students will perform duties such as washing cars for the tenants and cleaning of community room.
James L. Maher Center
Bristol, RI 02809
Students will perform duties such as cleaning and organizing the art room and activity room.
Little Children's Village
399 Hope St., Bristol
Students will paint radiators and paint the toddler room walls.
Little Friends Preschool
300 High Street, Bristol
Students will spread mulch, clean and wash toys; build a new sand and flower box.
Massasoit Historical Association
Warren
Students will perform duties such as raking the cellar floor, painting, gardening and fence repair, etc.
Mosaico
240 High Street, Bristol
Students will perform duties such as cleaning up Mosaico Park, cleaning up trash, weeding and planting.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church School
141 State Street, Bristol
Students will perform duties such as painting a pre-K classroom.
RI Veterans Home Affairs Office
480 Metacom Avenue, Bristol
Students will socialize with residents. They will be playing card games, visiting, reading, walking outside, etc. They will also be participating in outdoor gardening, weeding, raking, and clearing courtyards.
Sisters of St. Dorothy
13 Monkey Wrench Lane, Bristol
Students will perform duties such as removing weeds, removing ivy from ground and trees, as well as pond cleaning.
St. Elizabeth Manor
1 Dawn Hill Rd., Bristol
Indoor groups will help residents make physical Memory book covers and books. Also creatively decorating hats or t-shirts. As well as playing wii bowling, golf or car races with the residents.
Warren Post No. 11- Warren Armory
Jefferson Street, Warren
Students will perform duties such as outside yard cleanup and removing dirt out of the basement.
Warren Town Hall - Clerk's Office and Municipal Court
514 Main St., Warren
Students will perform duties such as organizing records and filing. They will be responsible for preservation of the records and organizing old files alphabetically.
NEWPORT COUNTY
Brown University - Project 20/20
19 Broadway, Newport
Students will perform duties such as changing light bulbs.
Common Fence Point Improvement
Portsmouth, RI 02871
Students will remove fragments from the pond, build a rail fence and mow a field.
EBCAP - HeadStart 2
8 John H. Chafee Blvd., Newport
Students will perform duties such as garden maintenance, cleaning cots & chairs, replacing woodchips for the playground, clearing the sheds.
Edward King House Senior Center
35 King Street, Newport
Students will perform duties such as general Landscaping work - clearing garden, raking leaves, sweeping, mulching.
Grand Islander Center
333 Green End Avenue, Middletown
Students will assist residents to and from group programs, and engage in room visits with residents either playing cards, games or reading to residents.
Looking Upwards, Inc.
438 East Main Road, Middletown
Students will perform duties such as yard work and cleaning and organizing basements etc.
Lucy's Hearth
913 West Main Road, Middletown
Students will perform duties such as organizing storage space, cleaning cabinets, and organizing the donation room.
Norman Bird Sanctuary
583 Third Beach Road, Middletown
Students will rebuild a stonewall. They will be responsible for clearing brush from the front of the wall, removing old boardwalk from a trail, and installing a new boardwalk.
Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center
110 Bristol Ferry Rd., Portsmouth
Students will perform duties such as organizing storage space and rooms.
St. Clare Home
309 Spring Street, Newport
Students will assist with activities, games, and reading. They will participate in answering phones, musical activities, singing, playing piano etc.
Tiverton Land Trust
Tiverton
Students will perform duties such as weeding & general cleaning of entrance area. They will also assist with trail maintenance work.
Tiverton Open Space Commission
Tiverton
Students will be responsible for Weetamoo Woods and Fort Barton Woods Trail Maintenance. This will include clearing vegetation, removal of litter, and dead branches along trail areas and possibly remarking trails.
Visiting Nurse Services
1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth
Students will perform duties such as window washing (inside and out), painting 1 large room, mulching, weeding & sweeping of parking lot.
Visiting Nurse Services 2
1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth
Students will perform duties such as painting large lobby and entrance and a classroom as well as window cleaning.
PROVIDENCE COUNTY
Boys & Girls Club of Providence
550 Wickenden Street, Providence
Students will help to close camp from the summer. Duties will include painting, cleaning, and putting supplies away.
Chestnut Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
100 Wampanoag Trail, East Providence
Students will be playing a variety of games including; basketball, horseshoe, target toss, golf etc. They will also make a summer craft; make their own lemonade, and spend time with residents.
East Providence Historical Society
403 Greenwood Ave., Rumford
Students will perform duties such as organizing storage space and cleaning out the areas involved as well as cleaning the basement.
EBCAP - HeadStart 1
386 Willett Ave., Riverside
Students will perform duties such as playground maintenance, including filling the sand box, cleaning cots & chairs, mulching, shoveling and raking woodchips.
Living in Fulfilling Environments (LIFE) Inc.
2731 Pawtucket Ave., East Providence
Students will learn about outside art and work with artists with disabilities.
Save the Bay
100 Save The Bay Dr., Providence
Students will conduct a shore cleanup of the Bristol Harbor Waterfront from Independence Park to Bristol Marine.
Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council
27 Sims Avenue, Providence
Students will perform duties such as cleaning along Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River greenway. They may also be painting, clearing brush, and spreading mulch.
YWCA Greater Rhode Island
43 Hawes St., Central Falls
Students will perform yard work including weeding, raking, and painting.
SOUTH COUNTY
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Sachuest Point, NWR,
50 Bend Rd., Charlestown
Students will remove invasive plant species from the refuge.
MASSACHUSETTS
Adams House Nursing Home
1168 Highland Avenue, Fall River
Students will play scrabble, solve puzzles, participate in singing games, cookouts, and gardening etc.
Artworks!
384 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford
Students will perform duties such as painting interior walls, trash removal and organizing space.
Battleship Cove
Fall River
Students will perform duties such as cleaning, painting with the Maintenance Crew, potential clerical. Students will have a short history lesson and will be given time for exploring the ships.
Better Community Living, Inc.
384 County Street, New Bedford
Students will perform duties such as spreading mulch, trimming shrubs, as well as lawn and garden maintenance.
Fall River Jewish Home
538 Robeson St., Fall River
Students will interact with the Elderly. They will play Wii in the afternoon, and assist with morning exercises etc.
Fall River YMCA
199 North Main Street, Fall River
Students will perform duties such as general cleaning, vacuum, dusting, and painting of buildings.
Kettle Pond Farm
181 Bayview Avenue, Berkley
Students will perform duties such as harvesting CSA shares, weeding, and learning and giving garden projects.
Little Theatre of Fall River
500 Dillon Lane Swansea, MA
Students will perform duties such as outdoor landscape work, organizing of set building, props room and costume room, and painting the performance area.
Newman YMCA
472 Taunton Avenue, Seekonk MA
Students will perform duties such as raking leaves and wood chips, sweeping the parking lot and tennis courts.