Center for Community Engagement Archives - Page 3 of 3

Making a Difference Behind the Scenes

November 18, 2016 by

From Small Town to Springfield

Missouri State University’s Public Affairs mission is often something that is overlooked by both prospective and current students. While it is an extremely important aspect of the university, it is easy to be hidden underneath all of the other beautiful amenities Missouri State has to offer. This week, students are encouraged to focus on one specific pillar of the Public Affairs mission – Community Engagement. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘what are you doing for others?’” Well, this week the students, faulty, and alumni of Missouri State University need to focus on answering that question. What are YOU doing to help others in your community?

I left the small town I call home to come to Missouri State University in the Fall of 2013. While I did not realize it growing up, I quickly discovered that I had been extremely sheltered in my small, quiet town. I was never openly exposed to homelessness, hunger, or poverty. Although I know now that those issues were present where I grew up, they were always hidden from me as a child and adolescent. When I moved to Springfield, it became common to witness poverty wherever I went; I even witnessed it frequently on Missouri State’s campus.

At the beginning of this semester, I was in the right place at the right time and I was offered the opportunity to work in the Center for Community Engagement office. It was through this facility that I first learned about the Bear Blitz project. I learned about the current issues Springfield was facing through the Community Focus report, and how Northwest Springfield in particular was facing problems like access to food and transportation. When looking at the problems from a broad perspective, the idea of trying to make a difference seems like a challenging and daunting task. However, when many volunteers are willing to contribute their time and labor, the potential to change lives is incredible.

Vision Screening Program

The Vision Screening Program is a project that reaches out to daycares, elementary schools, and other establishments in an attempt to provide free vision screenings and color vision testing. The project uses a Spot Vision Screener, which is a portable, hand held hi-tech camera that takes a picture of the eyes. The camera can provide information as to whether or not the person being screened has myopia, hyperopia, or an astigmatism, and it is able to screen individuals as early as 6 months old. The program also includes color vision testing, which is completed by using a ColorDx testing booklet. The camera stores information like age and gender along with the screening results, which will be used in the future for research purposes. Although the focus of the program is mainly directed at children, the Vision Screening Program also extends their services to organizations like the Salvation Army Harbor House, and the Salvation Army Food Pantry, so that adults may be screened for free as well.

I am a research assistant for the Vision Screening Project. My jobs involve calling daycares and schools to schedule screenings, preparing packets of permission forms and information, preparing spreadsheets, and filing information. Although I normally perform the “behind the scenes” work of the project, I sometimes get the chance to participate in the actual screenings. After a whole semester of working on this project I finally got to lead my own vision screening, where I was personally able to screen 215 children completely on my own. It was so rewarding to actually go out into the community and see the difference the program was making firsthand, especially after all of the office work I had done to prepare for these events.

This experience has opened my eyes to the urgent need for change in the Springfield community, but it has also showed me the challenges associated with making that change. It is important to realize that volunteering isn’t all glamorous, and that not all parts of the process provide the same feeling of euphoria one gets when directly
helping others. The Springfield community needs Citizen Bears both behind the scenes and in the field in order to make sustainable, long lasting change.

^{-Lucy Beeler, Senior, Research Assistant in the Center for Community Engagement}

It Takes a Community

November 18, 2016 by John Lang

Bear Blitz is this year’s Public Affairs Signature Event, an event that really puts students out there to learn more about the issues Springfield faces as a community, how those affect the state, country, and world, and how they also affect each and every person in their daily walk. Bear Blitz is the University sending students to the streets of Northwest Springfield, referred to as Zone 1. A result of much research and planning, The Zone 1 Blitz is a city wide effort to improve the neighborhoods of Zone 1 and make for healthier and safer living. Much of the work being done is through the Springfield Community Gardens. These are places that residents can visit to receive fresh produce, and learn about healthy lifestyle choices they could implement into their own life. Through Bear Blitz, Missouri State students were able to help to make this goal a reality for the residents of those neighborhoods.

It is worth mentioning, I have worked in many community gardens around the country. Through Bear Breaks Immersion trips I have been able to witness different types of gardens in different cities, that each focus on specific issues that plague their community. I have had great experiences, and some that were not so great. I have learned more than I can fit into one post about how big of an impact a garden can make on a community. But what I have learned most was driven deeper today than I can imagine. I was reminded one person cannot possibly maintain a garden for an entire community, but when an entire community comes together, no one person has to feel like they are over worked. As I have heard it put, “Many hands make for light work.”

I volunteered at the Hovey House Community Garden, and had an experience I won’t soon forget. It may have been a little slow at times, but that led to discussions and relationship building that cannot be rivaled. I like to say, “Friends that serve together, stay together,” and I think there is more truth to it than I know. Relationships built around service are built on mutual respect, humility, humanity, meaningful dialogue and vulnerability.

To begin our service I was given a shovel and told to loosen up the soil so marble slabs that had been buried would be able to be reached. Honestly, I was a little disappointed. I wasn’t getting the chance to get my hands dirty, or do anything that I had really expected. Hopeful for work that would be more “fun”, I, along with another MSU volunteer, was given a pitchfork and told to go find the previously mentioned marble slab. After about thirty minutes of stabbing the ground with a fork hoping to hit a rock, we had collected three slabs of marble about the size of a keyboard. We were fooled time and again by pebbles that would hit the pitchfork only to let our hopes down when we dug around. I finally got my hands dirty and felt like I did something, even if I had few results to show for it.

The next phase was the part that will keep me coming back. A truck Ozarks Food Harvest came and delivered dozens of boxes of food, the majority being fruits and vegetables. I was not sure what the purpose was at the time, but I jumped in and carried things where I could. What blew me away was the efficiency at which everyone worked to unload the truck. Even with between 10-15 volunteers and a very small shed,I never felt cramped. Everyone was split into three stations, unloading, unpacking and box tear down. I am not exaggerating when I say the hundreds of pounds of food had been sorted and packed away withing about ten minutes of beginning. For a short time I stopped and tried to just take a step back to realize how amazing this system was working.

While I was welcome to leave after this, I stayed for about another hour. I sat and talked to other volunteers, mostly just community members, for almost all of it. I asked how they became involved, what kept them coming back, and more and answered similar questions, but more than anything we just talked. We shared life experiences, stories, and thoughts. We swapped ideas, opinions, and goals. It was unbelievably refreshing. So often when we serve, we are not actually serving with our whole heart, but instead just getting our hours in for our scholarships, classes, organizations, or resumes. Being out there this week helped me to realize how many people live in Zone 1 and are looking to improve their life. They are looking for a way to enrich their lives, and many of those I met today are able to use service to their community as the vehicle.

Bear Blitz encourages students to pop the college bubble. It challenges preconceived notions and forces inward reflection. All it takes is an hour of your time and you can go from being frustrated with digging for rocks to being an engaged citizen that is eager to learn about others’ lives and what they think. It’s that easy. For more information on how you can serve these communities, feel free to visit the Center for Community Engagement in PSU 131, online at our website, or at http://givepulse.com. There is so much work to be done, we cannot possibly do it on our own, but any hands we can get lightens the load.

_{-John Lang, Junior, Student Coordinator, Center for Community Engagement}

Join the Homecoming Queen in Service!

November 15, 2016 by Alex Johnson

On Monday I had the opportunity to volunteer at one of the 19 community gardens in the city of Springfield. This was my first experience serving with the Springfield Community Gardens, but I can confidently say it won’t be my last. The Springfield Community Gardens, established in 2010, has distributed over 100,000 pounds of produce to families in need. This impact would not be possible if it weren’t for the 6,500 volunteer hours logged by community members, including Missouri State students.

The Springfield Community Gardens exist to “improve food choices and environment, create a sense of place, build relationships and social capital, and retain/attract families, businesses, and young professionals.” The mission of this organization ties right in with Bear Blitz, Missouri State’s Public Affairs Community Engagement Project. The focus of Bear Blitz is to serve the people of Zone 1 (Northwest Springfield), in areas such as food access and transportation.

Residents who live near one of the 19 community gardens are able to help tend to the garden in exchange for produce. Individuals who take advantage of a Springfield Community Garden can reap benefits such as “helping their families be better fed, better off financially, and in better health.”

My volunteer shift at the community garden on W Calhoun Street consisted of clearing away weeds and overgrowth along the edge of the grounds. Other volunteers tilled the ground, spread fertilizer, and prepared a space for mulch to cover the area around fruit trees. My volunteer experience at the Springfield Community Gardens allowed me to spend time outside on an oddly warm and beautiful November afternoon, work alongside fellow Missouri State students, and serve an area of Springfield that is greatly appreciative of our help.

The Springfield Community Gardens has several chances each week for students to get involved. It is a great opportunity for those of you who enjoy being outdoors, and appreciate seeing tangible results of your service hours. You can be a part of the Missouri State Bear Blitz, and sign up for volunteer experiences through the Springfield Community Gardens, or other like-minded organizations by visiting www.givepulse.com.

^{-Tai Thrasher, Senior, Public Relations major}

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month

November 4, 2016 by John Lang

The start of a new month brings exciting new opportunities and a sense of energy to campus. November is no different, bringing with it Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month. The Center for Community Engagement is hosting several events throughout the month to spotlight four focus areas:

Youth
Veterans
Chronic
Families

To kick off the month, on October 26^th the Center for Community Engagement, in partnership with the Community Partnership of the Ozarks, hosted a screening of Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell. This documentary walked us through different points in the life of Erin Blackwell, a woman who has battled poverty throughout her life. Tiny featured scenes from the 1984 documentary Streetwise which also centered around Blackwell. Following the screening, students had the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of representatives from Springfield area partners, including Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri and Safe to Sleep. Students learned about volunteering with these partners and took part in meaningful discussions about the issues that affect Springfield. Students left the documentary feeling like their eyes had been opened past the narrow idea of poverty that is often portrayed. For more information on the documentary, visit http://www.tinythefilm.com/.

If you would like to learn more about Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month, how you can become involved, or what we are doing, please check out our weekly newsletter, our Facebook page, or come see us in the PSU, room 131.

Citizen Servant: Volunteering with a Purpose

October 20, 2016 by

Serving with a Purpose

Missouri State students serve the community

Missouri State University students donate a substantial amount of time to the community. Since the beginning of the 2016-2017 academic year, students under university scholarships, students in
Fraternity and Sorority Life organizations, and students in First-Year Foundations courses, have completed over 13,000 hours of community service. In the 2015-2016 academic year, those student groups completed over 93,000 hours of community service.

With these kinds of numbers, Missouri State students have the potential to make a significant impact on the Springfield community. As students head out to complete community service hours, something for them to consider is how their time spent serving can have the greatest impact.

Issues facing Northwest Springfield

As a part of the University’s commitment to community engagement, students are encouraged to take an active role in contributing to their community. In the four or more years that students attend Missouri State University, students are a part of not only the campus community, but also the Springfield community. Missouri State University, and the Center for Community Engagement, want to help the community through utilizing the students to serve in a meaningful way that will help meet the needs of the community they are a part of.

Because of various reports and initiatives including the Community Focus Report and Community Listen meetings, we now know the issues facing Springfield. These reports helped the community realize not only the issues facing Springfield, but also the fact that Northwest Springfield that was the zone that was struggling most. The following are some of the issues Northwest Springfield, or Zone 1, is facing.

Food Access
Digital Access
Chronic Nuisance Properties
Jobs and Economic Development
Public Safety
Infrastructure and Transportation
Wellness

Moving forward, initiatives across Springfield have developed in an effort to meet the needs of Northwest Springfield some of these include the 18-month Zone Blitz initiative, as well as the Northwest Project, a 5-year initiative led by a partnership made by Missouri State University, The Drew Lewis Foundation, and Drury University.

What does this mean for students?

Students can use this information to make their service to the community count. There are a variety of ways for students to get involved with the efforts to revitalize the Northwest Springfield zone. Students can start by serving the community following the principles outlined by the Zone Blitz.

We will work alongside the community, rather than imposing projects or actions onto the neighborhoods or present as if “we” are trying to help “them.”
Our focus will be resident-centric, meaning that every decision will take into account the wants and needs of the residents first and foremost.
We will focus on systemic, sustainable change.
We will recruit/create new leaders in the community.
We will measure and publicize results.
We will find ways to incentivize participation (through education and/or $)

^{Information from: https://www.springfieldmo.gov/2794/Zone-Blitz}

Students can also look out for opportunities to work with these initiatives through volunteer opportunities that come available on the Community Opportunities weekly newsletter, and by keeping an eye out for the Missouri State Public Affairs Signature Service Project November 14th-18th that will focus on the issues facing Northwest Springfield.

Give Pulse

Finally, students can utilize an exciting new volunteer resource called Give Pulse. Give Pulse will be the primary location for posted volunteer needs for Northwest Springfield initiative.

To sign up:

Visit www.givepulse.com.
In the upper right corner, click Sign Up.
After signing up for an account, click on Get Involved.
Search for volunteer opportunities in Springfield zip codes.
Review opportunities to get involved and sign up for the ones that interest you.

^{-Melissa Stallbaumer}

^{Senior Public Relations Major}

^{Student Specialist for Marketing and Service Hours in the Center for Community Engagement}

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