This Week in Service
Department of Community Service
Th e Week of May 18
Submit a quote or reflection to DCS!

We want to hear from you! Do you have a quote that you want to submit regarding your time with Waltham Group, being a part of a service club or working with the Department of Community Service? Submit it today and your quote might be featured on the DCS website! This is the best way for prospective students, community partners and alumni to learn more about our programs and hear about what is happening on campus! 
Summer Volunteer Opportunities & Resources

If you are interested in learning more about ways to get independently involved in your communities on your own this summer, we encourage you to check out the  Virtual and Online Resources  page on the Department of Community's website. Continue to log your service hours through the Commitment to Service Award (CTSA) program on Sage. Remember, service hours in your home community may be logged in this program. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Samantha de Melim at  commitmenttoservice@brandeis.edu .
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all the available opportunities and programs we are sharing!
In this email:

  1. Win a $25 Amazon Gift cards if you take the Annual Dept of Community Service Survey
  2. Last Day to Log Spring Semester Commitment to Service Award Hours! 
  3. Become a Virtual Volunteer with the Waltham Group this Summer!
  4. Brunch with the DCS Bunch
  5. COVID-19 Student Action Fund
  6. Submit a Note of Appreciation to Faculty and Staff
  7. Virtual Open Mic Night *New Zoom ID*
  8. Local Voices Network: Call for students to participate in short, VIRTUAL dialogues! 
  9. Volunteer Opportunity: Write letters and cards for the JF&CS Memory Café and Balancing Act
  10. Follow Waltham's Mayor Jeannette McCarthy's Covid-19 Updates
  11. Waltham Mutual Aid Network Volunteers Needed
Brandeis Community Opportunities
Win a $25 Amazon Gift cards if you take the Annual Dept of Community Service Survey
We are hopeful that all volunteers will take 5-10 minutes to complete the  Department of Community Service Annual Survey . This information will be used to inform our programs, training, and advance our work to meet the needs of our on and off-campus community. Folks who complete the full survey by Wednesday, May 20th will be randomly selected to win a  $25 Amazon gift card . Thank you in advance for your time 

Last Day to Log Spring Semester Commitment to Service Award Hours! 
The last day to log your service hours for the Spring semester is  Tuesday, May 19th ! You are only able to log your hours for the current semester, so it is crucial that you stay up to date with your hour entries and input all Spring semester hours by the 19th. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact  commitmenttoservice@brandeis.edu  
Become a Virtual Volunteer with the Waltham Group this Summer!
Stay Tuned: Waltham Group coordinators are working hard to listen to the Waltham community and respond to COVID-19. We are collaborating with our community partners to share resources and assist with certain priorities in Waltham, including youth engagement, fundraising, advocacy, independent projects, card/letter writing, and translation services. If you would like to volunteer virtually over the summer to support any of these initiatives, please sign up after we release more details in next week’s This Week of Service Letter. Email  wg.presidents@gmail.com  with questions!
Brunch with The DCS Bunch
The Department of Community Service (DCS) will be hosting  BRUNCH WITH THE DCS BUNCH  every  Wednesday in May from 12:00-1:00PM EST  via Zoom. We miss seeing you all around campus and are looking to create a casual space to be in community together over something that unites us all...food!

 There will be no set agenda, but an opportunity to share updates, ask questions and chat about life over breakfast, lunch or dinner based on your timezone.  Whether you are on campus, at home, or abroad, we also invite you to share your best food stories, such as food you grew up on, a favorite dish you like to make, or foods that bring you joy.  Pop in for 5 minutes or stay for a full meal. 

All are welcome, and no RSVP is required. You can join us on zoom through  this link .  If you have questions, please email the Director of Community Service, Lucas Malo at  lmalo@brandeis.edu .
COVID-19 Student Action Fund
The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) launched the  COVID-19 Student Action Fund  on April 18, 2020. This fund will identify and support select students at universities around the world who are committed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Working within the CGI U Commitment to Action model, this fund will provide at least $100,000 in total funding to students, with each grant awarded ranging from $2,000 to $5,000. This action fund is geared towards projects addressing the public health, economic, and societal impacts of the novel coronavirus — with commitments ranging from awareness and prevention campaigns, to social enterprises, to infectious disease monitoring and response systems, to other emergency response initiatives that are providing immediate support for public health practitioners and other essential workers on the frontlines. 

All applications must be submitted by 11:59PM ET on Wednesday, June 3, 2020. If you'd like to talk through an idea or are seeking advice on your application, contact our staff at  communityservice@brandeis.edu As you move forward in the process, please keep us in the loop so that we can offer support on your proposal. 
Submit a Note of Appreciation to Faculty and Staff
Dear Graduating Seniors,

Each year we celebrate the faculty and staff who have made a positive difference in your lives during your time at Brandeis University. In lieu of the annual Senior Week Faculty-Staff Appreciation event, we invite you to submit words of appreciation to thank those who have assisted, mentored, and supported you throughout your college journey. We will share your remarks with those you have written about and/or post your remarks, if you would like us to do so.

Words of appreciation may be submitted via the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Form , Please submit a separate form for each person you are thanking.Forms will be accepted until May 20, 2020
Virtual Open Mic Night  *New Zoom ID*
7:00-8:30 p.m

Please join us Wednesday nights for our virtual Open Mic Night. We will have singing, poetry, and music. 

Please email  deanofstudentsoffice@brandeis.edu  for the new zoom information.
Community Partner Opportunities
*Please note that the Department of Community Service provides marketing and may not be in direct partnership with this organization. It is the responsibility of all members of this listserv to research all external community engagement initiatives and programs prior to involvement.
Gap Year Opportunities with City Year
During this uncertain time, City Year is a unique opportunity for young people to not only make a positive impact on students, schools and communities, but it is also an opportunity to invest in themselves and use service to develop skills they’ll need in future careers or educational opportunities. No matter what the start to the next school year brings, City Year AmeriCorps members will be there to support students whether it is in person or virtually.  Join more than 3,200 City Year AmeriCorps members (ages 18-25), choose to live in one of our 29 cities and spend 11 months working full-time in over 350 schools to give students the extra support they need to graduate, college and career ready.

The application deadline is on May 29. To apply, visit this City Year website !
Local Voices Network: Call for students to participate in short, VIRTUAL dialogues! 
Students have been especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lives have been upended, campuses uprooted a global health crisis that has sent many students home and left others isolated and far from family.  Local Voices Network (LVN) , in partnership with Campus Compact, wants to collect voices and stories of students who have been singularly affected by COVID-19 and amplify them through media and advocacy. In a cross-state call out, we are recruiting students who identify in the groups outlined below from colleges and universities across Southern New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) representing community college, state, public and private institutions. 

The dialogues are organized into different groups of students affected by COVID-19:  
  • International students: With a lot of attention rightly paid on domestic students who have traveled back home after their institution’s doors have closed, not enough is being heard from those who are unable to do so. International students who have remained in the United States, please share your unique perspectives with us and with one another. Monday, May 18th from 5:00 – 6:15 pm - Register
  • First-generation students: Knowing that you may fall into any of these other categories, we want to create a space for first-gen students to hear from one another and to process the impact of COVID-19 on yourselves, your campuses, and your communities. Wednesday, May 20th from 5:30 – 6:15 pm - Register
  • Students in COVID-19 affected jobs: No one is just a student, and since we have been hearing from those working (or being laid off from) jobs highly impacted by the pandemic, we want to hear from you. Students working in – or laid off from – fields such as healthcare, food access, the restaurant/service industry, gig economy, or any other essential roles. Tuesday, May 26th from 4:30 – 5:45 pm - Register
  • Students dealing with housing or food insecurity: We want to hear from students for whom access to stable housing and regular meals is an ongoing concern. You might be on campus or doubled up with friends, relying on friends or family for meals or scraping by on your own. We want to hear from you and learn about which resources you have that have been helpful and which you need. Wednesday, May 27th from 7:30 – 8:15 pm ET - Register
Volunteer Opportunity: Write letters and cards for the JF&CS Memory Café and Balancing Act
Brandeis University students have volunteered at the JF&CS Memory Café since its launch in 2014. Students have also made Valentine’s cards for participants in our Balancing Act support group. During these times of physical distancing, letters and cards have reemerged as very important means of social connection; a way to send a little cheer to our participants, and help them to feel connected with the community around them. Cards made by little ones don’t need to follow all of these guidelines below! I would suggest: draw a friendly/happy picture, leave space inside for staff to write in the salutation, and then sign it with the child’s first name and their age.

Feeling creative? Here are the guidelines:
 
Please mail your letters or cards to Beth Soltzberg, Director of the Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support Program, JF&CS, at this address: Beth Soltzberg, 303 Gray Street, Arlington, MA 02476.
 
Please include a blank envelope for each card or letter, if possible. (An envelope is appreciated but not required).

What kind of card or letter, you may ask?
  • Please use only sizes that accept standard postage. Please avoid cards that require extra postage.
  • Pre-made cards are fine.
  • Handmade cards are fine.
  • Plain paper is fine.
  • Written and/or drawn is fine.

Content to include or avoid:
 
  • Some people who live with dementia are not aware of their diagnosis or are ashamed of it, so please do not mention dementia.
  • Some of our guests with dementia are not aware of the pandemic, so it is best to avoid this topic.
  • Share a happy thought about a topic that is timeless and common to us all, such as springtime, or the value of being kind to one another. People living with dementia may have trouble recalling specific information, but they often will really respond to sensory details that you can describe: color, scents, sounds, etc. One idea is to look up quotes on topics such as these, write your quote on the card, and then include a brief personal message.
Follow Waltham's Mayor Jeannette McCarthy's Covid-19 Updates
Keep up with the latest COVID-19 facts with the Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy. You can find previous videos as well as check back for any new videos each week.
Waltham Mutual Aid Network Volunteers Needed
The Waltham Mutual Aid Network is seeking volunteers who help support the Waltham community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a particularly high need for volunteers who can help people navigate applying for social services and volunteers who speak multiple languages (particularly Spanish).

To sign up, fill out this form .
Connect with us!
Department of Community Service
Shapiro Campus Center, Room 203
P: 781-736-3237

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