Gwen Stembridge Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps

VISTA 2010-2011The University of Findlay

Impact Report

VISTA purpose

• Alleviate poverty– Hunger/Food Insecurity– Housing/Homelessness

• Live in poverty-like conditions• Connect campus to community

– Academic Service-Learning– Co-curricular Service-Learning– Coordinating volunteers

• Ohio Campus Compact–46 Colleges and Universities–Provides campuses with civic

engagement resources–Build capacity of member

campuses to support civic engagement

VISTA History @ UF

• Listserv• Habitat club• Academic Service-Learning• Sweet Service Saturdays• Service Ambassadors• Circle K

Nametag & Notecard Explanation• Does this activity/project/event relate to the

person on your card? If so, how?• What can you do to support this crucial work?

Poverty in Findlay/Hancock County

Housing•2011 Homeless Point-in-

Time Count Total-130•Average Home Price- $163,161

•Median Rent-$602

Hunger• 10,490 individuals

(14.1% of the population)

receive government food

assistance

% of minors (<18) living under the federal poverty line- 12.6%% of total individuals living under the federal poverty line- 9.8%Unemployment Rate-10.3%

*Statistics retrieved from the websites of Job and Family Services, www.city-data.com, and Hope House

Findlay/Hancock County Community Assets

• Many caring and active churches• Invested community clubs and

organizations• Collaboration between organizations• UF involvement

Community Gap/Opportunity Areas• Community education/awareness about

poverty• Community education/awareness about

resources• New collaborative projects between non-

profits• Feedback from people receiving services• Involvement from diverse groups

Assets in Service at UF

• Campus Compact Center • Supportive staff• Passionate faculty• Service-minded students• Caring Administration• UF engagement in community in many ways• Investment in service programming

Gaps in Service at UF• Growing programs• Lack of opportunity for sustainability• Volunteering options for women• Deeper service reflection• New understanding of diversity• New community partnerships• Recipient feedback• New avenues for student participation

VISTA projects at UF 2010-2011VISTA Major Projects• Community Partner Visits• Person to Person

Community Partner Game• Make A Difference Fair-

Student Advocates• One Matters• Help Portrait• AS-L IELP• MLK Day of Service and

Retreat• WOWISH• Furniture and Food Drive• Summer Service Projects

Campus Compact projects w/ VISTA input• Orientation Service Project• Service Ambassadors Program• Bring a Senior Friend to Thanksgiving

Dinner• Academic Service-Learning• One World Many Voices-Service Day• Paying positive forward• FFA-Garden• Community Partner Visits• One Matters

Community Partner Visits

• Salvation Army• The Heritage• Girl Scouts• Open Arms• Dental Center of NW Ohio• Women’s Resource Center• National Alliance on Mental

Illness• Macklin Intergenerational

Institute• The Center for Autism & Dyslexia

Committees/Boards• Hancock Saves• Habitat for Humanity

Board• Asset Team• Hancock County

Coordinating Council• Bridges Out of Poverty

Guiding Coalition• ECLIPSe Partnership• Housing Coalition

VISTA Projects-Early FallPerson to Person Game-Familiar game-Community partners-Versatile and portable

Make A Difference Fair-Direct connections-Theme-Student Advocates

New Community Projects

One Matters• Resource Fair• Served over 200 families• Mobilized over 100 community

volunteers• 1/3 of volunteers were youth

(including UF students)

Help Portrait• New kind of service• Served over 100 families• Mobilized over 50 volunteers

Intensive English Language ProgramAcademic Service-Learning

Fall 2010-Mobile Food Pantry- With Domestic Students-56 total students-Served 282 families

Spring 2011-City Mission-31 students-Served apx. 180 meals

Women Of the World Involved in Serving Humanity

Women’s Tea Party at The Heritage

Thinking Day with Girl Scouts

Culture Day with The Center for

Autism and Dyslexia

Conversations with

Hope House

MLK Day of Service & Be the Change Retreat

Service• The Heritage• Interviews/ Civil

Rights Movement• Compile Storybook

Retreat• Service Reflection • Dr. King Inspiration• Black Heritage Library

& Multi-Cultural Center

• ReStore event for Car Tunes• One Matters Project Connect• Speakers Bureau• Habitat Campus Chapter • General help as needed• Food/furniture drive

• Food access brochure• Operating and Volunteer Manual• Mobile Food Pantry Survey• Student organization/res life

posters• Volunteer communication • Food/furniture drive

Academic Service-Learning• Speech• Technical Communications• Occupational Therapy• Accounting• Newswriting

VISTA Minor Impact Projects

Co-curricular Service Learning• FFA-Garden project• Habitat Spring Break• Circle K-SKT• OWMV• SAP

Volunteering• Bring a Senior Friend• Paying Positive Forward• Balloon Brigade• Individual volunteers• Act! Speak! Build! Week

Upcoming VISTA ProjectsFood and Furniture Drive

• Friday-Saturday: 11am-2pm• Sunday-Monday: 3pm-6pm

Summer of Service• Survey for student

interests-next week!• AmeriCorps Summer

Associate

Fall 2011 Preparation• Exploring Student Philanthropy Course• Set up fall Academic Service-Learning• Plan Orientation Service Project

Sustainability

• We’re thankful for support of UFand Ohio Campus Compact!• VISTA Grant is limited• Potential for growth is very present• Time and resources are lost with short-term

position• We hope that The University of Findlay will choose

to sustain this position independently!

Ideas for future/Next VISTA

• Bridges Out of Poverty• Students in Service• Community Gardens• Monthly Theme/Community

Partners on campus• Student led service

projects/grant• Habitat• Chopin Hall

Thanks to Students!Thanks to Faculty!

Thanks to Staff!Thanks to Chopin Hall!

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity Findlay/Hancock County!Thanks to Community Partners!

Thanks to Ohio Campus Compact!Thanks to UF Campus Compact!

Thanks to YOU for listening and taking action!

Questions?