newsletter for jcu

8/7/2019 newsletter for JCU

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Tom Reilley, manager ofpurchasing and auxiliaryservices at John Carroll,

is busy managing the purchasing of-fice, running the copy andmail centers, and is adedicated family man.Amidst all his responsi-bilities and hectic sched-ule, he has committedhimself to serving othershere in the local commu-nity and throughout thecountry.

Two years agoReilley was approachedby one of his work studystudents to come on anImmersion. Ted Steiner,coordinator of immer-sions & special programs,caught wind of Reilleys interest andasked him to be one of the FSA lead-ers on the New Orleans experience inMarch 2009.

Reilley approached his wife to

see if shed be interested in joiningthe group with him. Not particularly

devout Catholics, Reilley admittedthat The word reflection scared us!During the course of the Immersionhowever, they realized its simply

talking about their day and how itaffected their opinion on certainthings.

The residents are so apprecia-tive of the work we do when were

down there, and the stories they tellfrom Katrina are unbelievable, ex-

plained Reilley. He and his wife havesince been a part of another trip toNew Orleans and plan on going againin May 2011.

Reilley explained that for 18years he did nothing, and nowservice is such a big part of hislife here at JCU. He has beenconsistently involved with theStreak Week/ClevelandNeighborhood Project serviceactivities, Cultivating Com-munity days, and the FatimaFun Day during the summer.Were finally doing some-thing to give back and weredoing something more fulfill-ing, he explained of his andhis wifes service involve-ment.

Reilley and his wife plan ongetting involved in service activitieson a weekly basis once they both re-tire. A potential possibility is workingwith Theresa Spada, assistant directorof alumni relations, to form alumni

Immersion experiences abroad.

THIS

ISSUE

Staff member discovers desire.......Fatima OGT program Changes Lives .....Professor recognized for service course.Marathon with a mission.........Summer of service focuses on food security......

Coburn Bicycle Co-op...Carroll Reads program expandsNew Immersion destinations.........Building relationships through We the People..Special thanks to community partners.

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Staff member Tom Reilley discovers desire to help others

Reilley led JCU students to help rebuild in New Orleans.

Center for Service and Social ActionVolume 4, Issue 1 Bulletin December 2010


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Page 2 Center for Service and Social Action

John Carroll University

Fatima Family Center is a recreation center where teens can goto participate in many positive activities, including a Teen

Leadership program.As a component of the teen program, a group of bright

students from John Carroll and Notre Dame tutor us for theOhio Graduation Test every Wednesday. The tutors help us

in the subjects we need help in, and some of the tutors even

major in these subjects, such as math and science. This made thesessions easy and fun. The tutors were able to help us find ways to

conquer our fears of test-taking and master our study techniques. Our tu-tors even found ways to help us search for the career that best fit our per-sonalities. That was a very helpful workshop.

All of the tutors were smart, energetic, fun and inspiring. They werevery eager to help us succeed. There was a particular activity the tutorshad us do that I found very beneficial. We had to write our worries on apiece of paper, read everyones worry aloud, and then the tutors offeredadvice pertaining to our worries. We then threw our worries away. Howcool was that!

Words can not describe how much the students from John Carroll

have helped us. The sessions were filled with energetic tutors ready tohelp us whenever we needed them. This was a great opportunity and I wilnever forget it.

-Gabrielle Jones-

New OGT program

at Fatima Center

Changes Lives

The 2010 Ohio CampusCompact David HochMemorial Award recog-

nized Dr. Linda Seiter for her out-standing work in service-learning and

civic engagement within the localcommunity this past May.

Seiter, an associate professor inthe department of mathematics andcomputer science, received the awardbecause of her innovative use of ser-vice-learning in various computerscience courses and the significantcontributions these efforts lend to theCleveland community.

Doing service-learning givesthem the sense that what theyre

learning in the classroom is real andvaluable and that theyre able to pro-vide a service that is pretty special-ized, stated Seiter. The relationship

between Seiters classes andthe partners they assist isseen as mutually beneficial.

One of hercourses last se-mester gave JohnCarroll students

the opportunityto teach 2-Dcomputer pro-gramming tokids at the

Shaker HeightsOpen Doors af-ter-school pro-gram. They se-cretly learned thecomputer writinglanguage foundin professionalprograms whilecreating ani-mated games, stories and movies,explained Seiter.

JCU students have also devel-oped Web sites for local communitypartners using Google Sites, includingthe Open Doors after-school programand Montefiore Senior Center. Stu-dents designed multiple Web optionsand then allowed the directors tochoose the final site design. Studentstaught the administrators how tomaintain the site on their own.

Students in Seiters database

course helped improve theCenter for Service and SocialActions service registrationdatabase last spring, and anew group of students will

continue that work next se-mester.Its good for students towork with real people withreal problems. When theygraduate, hopefully theyllremember how they volun-teered their time and servicesto people and places in need,and will continue to do so,

said Seiter.Ohio Campus Compact, a non-

profit membership organization of 46Ohio colleges and universities withstrong community service, service-learning, and/or civic engagementprograms on their campuses annuallyrecognize outstanding college facultyservice leaders. This award is namedfor the late David Hoch, the Univer-sity of Toledos Dean of Honors, whoserved as the director of service-learning from 1999 2005.

Professor recognized for innovative service-learning courses


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Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 3


More than 1.4 million Ohio-ans receive emergency foodassistance each year, according to theHunger in Ohio 2010 study releasedby the Ohio Association of Second Har-vest Foodbanks.

Ohio food pantries, soup kitchens,and other assistance agencies have ex-perienced a 78 percent increase in cli-ents served, many struggling to choosebetween food and other basic necessi-ties.

Catherine Distelrath, a recentAmeriCorps Summer Associate at JohnCarroll University, served as the keycoordinator for JCUs community gar-den, a new initiative to confront foodsecurity in the local community.

Distelrath and six faculty volun-teers tended the garden all summer; do-nating fresh produce to the HeightsEmergency Food Center located inCleveland.

After generating 106 pounds of

produce, Distelrath realized the peopleserved by the center were unsure how tointegrate the fresh food into their dailymeals. She began a nutrition programfor the food recipients, educating themon how to cook the fresh vegetables.

Distelraths work with the foodcenter has helped her see the effects therecession and poor economy has had onthe local community.

Working at the center reallyteaches you that you cant judge some-

one by only looking at them. Differentpeople are going through different timesin their lives, you just never know theirstory, she said.

Even though Distelraths summerof service has ended, she still volunteerswith the food center on a weekly basis.She serves as the youngest member onits executive board and is in the processof planning a 5K run fundraiser for thespring.

Student addressesfood security duringa summer of service

Running a marathon with a missionThe 33rd Annual Cleveland

Marathon took place this past Maywith more than 10,000 runners rais-ing approximately $12 million for theCleveland community. John Carrollwas represented at the race with 18runners participating with the LivingPerson group.

The Living Person group be-gan in 2005 after Father H. Paul cameback from Madagascar, an island offthe southeast coast of Africa. Duringhis visit, Fr. Hencounteredmany childrenand familiessufferingfrom poverty

and hunger.The

children Iheld, sang andplayed withwere not justsuffering Af-ricans we of-ten watch onTV. Theybecame mysiblings I saw

every day in my prayers, so I wantedto do something for them, explainedFr. H.

He left Madagascar wanting toremember the children he met on adaily basis and somehow give back tothem. He realized running a marathonwould be a great way for the localcommunity to get involved, and wasan easy way to raise awareness andfunds from family and friends.

January 2010 marked the

Living Person VI and the first yearFr. H recruited runners from JohnCarroll for the marathon group.Originally 30 people expressed inter-est in joining the cause; students, fac-ulty and administrators all ready toconfront the 26.2 mile challenge.

After a four-month training jour-ney, 18 dedicated runners remained.Freshman Patrick Levandowski, awrestler in high school, had open-

heart surgery in 2009. After a longrecovery, he wanted to do somethingto prove himself to others and hisdoctor recommended running for hisheart. He joined Living Person VI,trained and ran the full race.

It was extraordinary to watchhim keeping the faith, fighting well,and finishing the race, said Fr. H.

The Living Person VI groupraised $3,120 for Cleveland childrenat the Fatima Family Center and the

children ofMadagascar.It was animportantpart of thetraining and

running be-cause wewere not justrunning forourselves.The goal tohelp othersmotivatesrunners and

reminds usthat we arekeepers of

our brothers and sisters in needaround the world, explained Fr. H.

He delivered half the money toMadagascar last summer and theother half was donated to Fatima dur-ing the Cleveland Neighborhood Pro-ject that took place in August. Themoney was used to provide localfamilies a turkey and all the fixingsfor this Thanksgiving holiday.

Fr. H is beginning to recruitmembers for the Living Person VII

group to begin training at the end ofJanuary. The Cleveland Marathontakes place on May 15, 2011, oneweek before graduation. Since 200545 Living Person members havefinished the race and raised a total of$14,275.

It is your time to join and tokeep the faith. Welcome, says Fr. H.To join, contact Fr. H [email protected].

Fr. H awards LaJean Ray, director of Fatima,donations raised from Cleveland marathon.


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Page 4 Center for Service and Social Action


Carroll Reads program continues to expandBike co-op promotes

healthy lifestyle and

clean environment

The Environmental Issues Group in

cooperation with the City of UniversityHeights and JCU Student Affairs hasdeveloped a bicycle co-op, hoping thatpeople will stop using their cars andstart riding bikes.

The Coburn Bicycle Co-op kicked-off in September to encourage the JCUcommunity to Enjoy the environmentaround them and to commute in a man-ner that wont hurt the world aroundthem, said Raymond Chahoud, formerEIG president.

He explained that too many peoplehop in their car to buy groceries or picksomething up at Target. The EIG be-lieves people should slow down andrealize there are other ways to run er-rands. We want people to change theirWe want it now mentality. Were alsotrying to promote a healthier, sustain-able campus, stated Chahoud.

The 18 bicycles for the co-op weredonated by the service and police de-partments from the City of University

Heights. Donations from campus andcommunity members, a grant from theStudent Union, and funding from Stu-dent Affairs provided financial supportfor helmets, locks, and replacementparts.

Dr. Chris Shiel, a faculty advisorfor the EIG, trained members of thegroup on how to repair the donatedbikes by using salvaged parts.

The co-op is named in honor of Dr.Miles Coburn, a former member of the

biology department, who was an avidcyclist and keen environmental advo-cate. Coburn worked at JCU for 26years before being killed by an SUVwhile cycling.

For more information regarding theCoburn Co-op, rental policy and bicycleavailability, contact EIG President AlexValigosky at [email protected].

The Carroll Reads program ex-panded to three tutoring sites this falland continues to experience growthinto the spring semester.

Carroll Reads began as a pilot

program last spring after AmeriCorpsVISTA Kathryn Terrell researchedliteracy programs and assessed theirviability at John Carroll.

After conducting her research,Terrell chose to pursue implementa-tion of the America Reads program.

The Carroll Reads model in-cludes meeting with key staff at po-tential sites, asking their tutoringneeds, and creating an individualizedprogram schedule based on the goalsthey have for their students. Currenttutors assist in general homeworkhelp, math tutoring and reading tutor-ing, either one-on-one or in smallgroups.

The program is currently offeredto public and parochial schools andafter-school homework help centersrun by the Cuyahoga County PublicLibraries.

Having additional tutoring helpin classrooms and libraries allows stu-dents who are in need of one-on-oneattention an opportunity to work withsomeone who is there just to supportthem. Outside of tutoring, our volun-teers also serve an important mentor-ing/role modeling function,explained Terrell.

Junior Matt Doss, a mid-dle childhood education major,is a second year Carroll Readstutor at St. Adalberts CatholicSchool.

He explained that the stu-dents he works with are in themost need of help and usuallydont receive the academic at-tention they deserve. The tutorshelp the students realize theiracademic struggles, watch theirprogress, and recognize theirachievements. The studentsthen feel accountable for theirprogress and tend to be more

motivated to succeed.This has been a real eye-

opening experience. Its mutuallybeneficial for both the server and theone being served. You learn so much

you feel so much. Its an overallpositive experience, said Doss.Sophomore Lisa Reichert is also

a second year Carroll Reads tutorserving at the Richmond Heights Li-brary. She is truly dedicated to serv-ing Cleveland youth; she currentlytutors with three weekly programs thissemester, and volunteers with themany one-time service projects CSSAoffers.

Reichert enjoys working with theCarroll Reads program because shefeels the kids really want to partici-pate in the program and the parentsare very supportive and engaged intheir childs learning.

Most people think the kids thatattend tutoring are usually behind.These kids are already pretty efficient,theyre just trying to perfect them-selves, explained Reichert of the stu-dents she works with.

Both Doss and Reichert ex-pressed the reason they continue to doservice is because of the meaningfulrelationships they forge with the stu-dents they serve.

Doss helps tutor students at St. Adalbertsthrough Carroll Reads.


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Volume 4, Issue 1 Page 5


Building relationships and citizenship skills through theWe

the Peopleservice-learning program

CSSA is sponsoring two newImmersions in January that will takestudents to exciting locations richwith learning opportunities.

The first destination is Rwanda,a small country the size of Maryland,in the heart of Africa. The experiencewill focus on understanding the im-pact of the 1994 genocide and analyz-ing the countrys rise from ashes to anation with great potential. Studentswill learn how the Rwandan govern-ment is responding to the perpetratorsof the genocide. They will visit geno-cide memorials and local organiza-tions aiding the rebuilding and recon-ciliation process.

To prepare, students are partici-

pating in a fall class, Rwanda in Com-parative African Perspective, that willhelp them examine the politics, cul-ture, and history of Rwanda and com-pare these aspects to other countriesin the region.

Jen Ziemke from the politicalscience department, Tamba Nlandufrom the philosophy department and

John Ropar from the Counseling Cen-ter will accompany the students onthis Immersion.

The second destination is Guate-mala. Students will visit a small vil-lage, San Juan La Laguna, hometo approximately 100,000 Tzutu-jil people, one of the 21 Mayanethnic groups that still exist.

During the visit, studentswill have the opportunity to com-plete maintenance projects at alocal school, Nuevo Amanecer(New Dawn). Any assistance tothe school is important becauseonly 55 percent of Guatemalanpeople are literate. The popula-tion of Guatemala is the least-

educated in Central America.Students will also visit a

Fair Trade Coffee distributor, achurch youth group, and a minis-try for disabled children.

Both Ted Steiner fromCSSA and Mary-Michelle Cole-man from the Tim Russert De-partment of Communication and

Theatre Arts will accompany thegroup.

For more information on Immer-sions, contact Ted Steiner [email protected].

New Immersion destinations for spring expand students horizons

Lindsay Smetana laughs with a young boyon a 2010 Immersion to Nicaragua.

We the People, a ser-vice-learning pro-gram based on the

Constitution and the rights of Ameri-can citizens, has more than tripled insize since 2008-2009.

In the fall of 2010, 80 JCU tutorsvisited 21 classrooms at 12 differentschools, reaching almost 500 youth in

the Cleveland area. When the pro-gram began four years ago, a smallgroup of JCU tutors visited threeclassrooms at Caledonia School inEast Cleveland reaching approxi-mately 75 youth.

With each visit, valuable con-nections within the Cleveland com-munity are built. JCU tutorsstrengthen the bonds they have estab-

lished with their tutees, and help tobuild bridges between their tutees andthe world of higher education. It istruly a serving and learning experi-ence for all, explained MiriamMcGinn, the graduate assistant forCSSA who helps coordinate the pro-gram.

JCU partnered with the Ohio

Center for Law-Related Education in2006 to bring We the People to Cleve-land area schools, the only highereducation institution to implement amodel in which college students actas tutors teaching the material.

Tutors strive to prepare the com-munitys children to become activecitizens in the 21st century. Duringtheir weekly visits to 5th, 8th, and

high school classrooms across theEast Cleveland and Cleveland schooldistricts, JCU tutors lead students ininteractive simulations and exercisesthat reinforce learning about the Con-stitution and its role in society.

As they learn about the Constitu-tion and their own rights as Americancitizens, students are encouraged to

form their own opinions and to thinkcritically about the past, presnt, andfuture of the U.S.

For more information on the Wethe People program, contactMiriam McGinn [email protected];216.397.2024.


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CenterforServiceandSocialAction20700NorthParkBoulevard

UniversityHeights,OH44118-4581

CSSA Staff

Dr. Peggy Finucane, [email protected]

Kathy Baka, Ignation Volunteer [email protected]

Theresa Bakula, [email protected]

Raven DeVoll, AmeriCorps [email protected]

Miriam McGinn, Graduate [email protected]

Trace Patterson, Community-based [email protected]

Susan Rozewski, Department [email protected]

Julia Solow, AmeriCorps VISTA

[email protected]

Ted Steiner, Immersions & Special [email protected]

Kathryn Terrell, AmeriCorps [email protected]

Center for Service and Social Action20700 North Park Boulevard

University Heights, OH 44118Phone: 216.397.4698

E-mail: [email protected]: 216.397.1661

Web site: www.jcu.edu/service

The Center for Service and Social Actionseeks to educate for justice by offeringopportunities for learning through service.Growing from a rich Catholic intellectualtradition, we promote service that inspiresa deeper commitment to those most in

need. The Center connects the campuswith the local, national, and internationalcommunities through sustained partner-ships that enable John Carroll communitymembers to become "men and women for

and with others."

Center for Service and Social Action Mission Statement

A special thank you to our community partners

Churches: Church of theCovenant, Our Lady ofLourdes, St. Monica, St.Paul's, Community Cen-ters: Boys and Girls Clubof Cleveland, Fatima Fam-ily Center, Goodrich-Gannett NeighborhoodCenter, Hijos De Borin-quen Spanish AmericanCenter, Rose Mary Center,St. Martin De Porres, TheaBowman Center, Hospi-tals: Huron Hospital,Marymount Hospital, Rain-bow Babies and Children'sHospital, on-Profit Or-

ganizations: Boys HopeGirls Hope, ClevelandFood Bank, CuyahogaCounty Juvenile DetentionCenter, Domestic ViolenceCenter, Interfaith Hospital-ity Network, KoinoniaHomes, L'Arche, Light ofHearts Villa, MalachiHouse, Mayfield Adaptive,Montefiore, QuantumLEAP, Richmond HeightsPublic Library, SouthPointe Hospital, Ss. Robertand William, Youthability,Schools: Boulevard, Buck-eye-Woodland, CHAMPS,

Caledonia, Canterbury,Chambers, E-Prep, Fairfax,Gearity Professional Devel-opment, Heritage, HolyName, Intergenerational,Many Villages, Mayfair,Monticello, Noble, OpenDoors- Cleveland Heightsand Shaker, Oxford, Pros-pect, Roxboro Elementaryand Middle, Shaw, St.Adalbert's, St. Francis, St.Thomas Aquinas, Superior,Warner Girls Leadership

Academy, Wiley

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