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You Can Still Participate in Jesuit Week of Service (JWOS)!
Jesuit Week of Service begins TODAY! Keep the Magis Alive and be a part of this historic moment! For over 15 years, Jesuit Day of Service has called us to be men and women with and for others. In this unique moment, we have the opportunity to come together to serve our community in new and creative ways!

Register HERE for JWOS!

Participate in this unique opportunity through daily service challenges, hear from our community partners about their needs and challenges, and advocate on community issues. We will provide all the details you need to engage with the community and your JWOS team in a whole new way!

How it works
  • Register now with your name and email HERE
  • From Tuesday, April 21 through Saturday, April 25, you will receive daily emails containing activities and challenges
  • Participate in as many or as few activities and challenges as you want. Share your activities with us on social media and online
  • On Saturday, April 25, we will celebrate our communities and our collective service

Read more about JWOS HERE
Questions? Email service@jcu.edu
Challenge: Thank a Grocery Store Worker or Donate to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank!
There are several ways to participate in the Challenge this week:
  1. Send a thank you to the grocery stores that partner with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank for their continued service to the community during the Pandemic through this link here.
  2. Thank grocery store workers by using the hashtags #grocerystoreworkers or #groceryworkers to post on Instagram
  3. Donate to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank through JCU's Arrupe Scholars Program (see article below and Erin Kipp's reflection later in the enewsletter).

Our weekly challenges provide a way for you to stay involved with the community from home. Start your challenge now and don't forget to tag @jcu_cssa on social media!
Arrupe Fundraising for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank
T he Arrupe Students in AR150 Hunger and Poverty Advocacy class have started a virtual fundraising campaign though the Greater Cleveland Food Bank as a substitute project for what they had hoped to do on campus. Join the Food Bank in supporting those whose ability to work has been or will be impacted by the pandemic.

Arrupe Scholars have joined the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to fight against hunger by starting a Virtual Food Drive! You can help them reach their fundraising goal by donating to their page and sharing the information with family and friends. All Bluestreaks, past and present, along with their family, friends, and others in their social networks are challenged to consider donating $1, $2, $5, $10 or more to this cause.   $1 buys 4 meal ordinarily, but because of a generous matching gift to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, it effectively buys 8 meals.

Donate HERE
Advocate: Use your voice to help your neighbors in need
Urge Congress to increase SNAP benefits in the next COVID-19 relief package. Write a letter to Congress through the Greater Cleveland Food bank HERE! A modest increase to SNAP will help ensure that every family impacted by the current pandemic- whether it is due to lost work, lost wages, or school closures- can continue to keep food on the table. 

Although food banks provide meals to millions across Ohio, SNAP is still the first line of defense against hunger. For every one meal provided by food banks, SNAP provides nine. It is critical that families impacted by the current health emergency can access all the help they need to keep food on the table. Why is SNAP important? Watch a video about SNAP HERE.
Learn: Food Assistance During COVID-19
Watch the Video & Learn More HERE
Learn What Ohio Lawmakers Are Doing To Help Farmers During Pandemic
Ohio’s 78,000 farmers are facing new challenges during the pandemic. Learn more about what Ohio's lawmakers are doing in response.
Ohio's food assistance policy in the time of pandemic
No matter our differences, we all need to eat. We all want to support our families and live with dignity. Now is the time for our leaders to make policy choices that help all people -- not just the wealthy and powerful few.

This brief examines elements of the federal stimulus packages and policy changes in Ohio that can help people access food during this difficult time. It also highlights additional recommendations to make sure all Ohioans have enough to eat.
Learn more HERE
Magis Message: McKenzie Stine '19
Your Magis Message for the day comes from McKenzie Stine, Class of 2019.

"In the end it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything" - Thomas Merton

Click HERE to view McKenzie's message!
Reflection of the Week: Erin Kipp '23
"During this time of continuous uncertainties, it is often hard to fully comprehend all of the communities and the ways this global pandemic will impact our human family. Quarantine has provided me with the opportunity to reflect upon the many ways in which I have been blessed. As challenging as this transition has been it is important to recognize that the things that I might take for granted such as a safe place to stay, or a hot meal every night, are not a luxury shared by everyone.

Food insecurity impacts many people worldwide and when someone goes hungry it affects many aspects of their life, such as the ability to learn during school or to work efficiently during a job. Knowing that many kids' only source of food for the week comes from what they are served in school, is both shocking and upsetting. Personally, it can be overwhelming to hear about the 40 million people across the United States alone that are food insecure, but with the guidance of Dr. Peck and the Arrupe program, we have been able to hold meaningful discussion and learn about effective ways to serve and stand in solidarity (from a socially acceptable distance of course!).

After taking a course that focuses on hunger, I will be much more mindful when going to the caf, or getting coffee with friends, especially knowing that about 233,000 people in our own community of Cleveland will go hungry. Although our advocacy work in this case doesn't quite look like we expected, being able to reach out and raise money for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank has been a blessing of its own so that those kids who no longer are able to go to school and be served meals, can focus on navigating this new time instead fearing going hungry. Nobody is immune to the stress that comes with times like this, but it is more important now than ever that we stand for and with one another.
Stay Engaged and Connected Virtually!
Explore our we bsite,   https://www.cssaengagecle.org/   to find ways to stay connected, get involved from home, and continue to advocate for social justice.  We will be adding new content weekly!  Explore our website to learn how you can stay engaged and connected with others!
Don't forget to stay connected through Instagram! Follow CSSA on Instagram to  get the latest news and updates from CSSA, learn about self-care resources, participate in weekly challenges, learn about ways to stay involved from home, read motivational pieces and get links to TED Talks, and hear from our featured students about service in the Center for Service and Social Action!  Follow  @jcu_cssa  on  Instagram   now!
Tutor Online with the Saturday Tutoring Program
As the Covid-19 pandemic forced an early closure for The Saturday Tutoring Program's 2019-2020 school year, deciding to close was not an easy decision but a necessary one.

Although The Saturday Tutoring Program was originally scheduled to end the school year on April 4, they have remained committed to their students and families. Many school districts have designed distance learning plans for students, but this new way of learning is presenting new challenges for students and their families. 

That is why the program has made the decision to offer free online tutoring to students. However, this new endeavor will not be a success without you!

Similar to Saturday mornings, once you complete a registration form, the program will pair you with a student based on your preferences. Once you are paired, you will receive an email which will include the date and time of your session (no more than 1 hour), the student's name/needed subject area and a link to the meeting room. All you have to do is show up at your scheduled time! Sessions will accessible by smartphone but a computer/tablet is recommended. 

If you are interested in providing online tutoring, complete a registration form HERE

Please email saturdaytutoring@gmail.com with any questions .
JCU Student Food Pantry is Open
The JCU Student Food Pantry will remain open and available for any student who needs it. Contact the office of Residence Life M-F 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m for the key and they will be happy to provide it. You can contact Residence Life at 216-397-4008 or email jcureslife@jcu.edu .
We are lookling for applicants who embrace the JCU mission of being  men and women for and with others!  As a CSSA representative, Student Liaisons serve as peer service leaders and van drivers as they facilitate a positive service experience for their fellow JCU students.  This paid position allows you to do all this and gain professional experience!

Do you have a good driving record and embrace the JCU mission of being a  "man or woman for others?"  Do you enjoy participating in service and interacting with other students and the community?  You can apply to be a student liaison too!

Responsibilities include:
  • Participating in the service activity
  • Serving as a CSSA ambassador for the community partner
  • Transporting students to and from service sites
  • Ensuring accurate attendance records
  • Providing pertinent information to CSSA staff members
  • Attending mandatory training sessions
  • Facilitating reflection

Click HERE   to read more and apply!
Questions? Contact CSSA a t   service@jcu.edu
Fun Fact! I ambidextrous, which means that I am dominate in both my right and left hands!
 Our #MYSERVICESTORY for the week comes from Caitlin Drake, a sophomore Early Childhood Education major and Spanish & Peace, Justice & Human Rights minor from Farmington Stow, OH!

At which service sites / community partners have you served or been a student liaison?
I have served at Northeastern Reintegration Center, Intergenerational School and Cleveland School for the Arts, and the Fatima Family Center.

"My first service site at JCU was at the Northeastern Reintegration Center, a women's correctional facility. I will admit, at first I was nervous about going into a prison to do service, it was something I had never thought about doing. With the women in the prison, we did a weekly Bible study and talked about spirituality. Seeing the women grow in their faith and open up to talking about God was one of the most amazing things to see. We built strong relationships with the women and they looked forward to seeing us every week. Their strength and courage in their faith through extremely difficult and emotional times inspired me. I felt I was there to help them in their faith and grow closer to God, but what I found was that ultimately, that was what they were doing for me. From this experience, I am more open and willing to talk about my faith and relationship with God with anyone, including strangers. This service site also showed me that prisons are filled with real, genuine people; people that have families they love, that have goals they want to complete, and the desire to be forgiven."
Each week  we feature stories of students who have made service a cornerstone of their JCU experience. Complete the form below to show us how you #ServeCLE!
We’ll share your story  on social media and in our weekly e-newsletter. If you’re a CSSA student liaison, you’ll earn points for your mentor group!

Submit your service story at  https://jcu.edu/myservicestory
Sr. Katherine Feely  |  Director |    kfeely@jcu.edu    | 216.397.1966
Maryellen Callanan  |  Associate Director |    mcallanan@jcu.edu   |  216.397.2022
Heather Craigie |  Assistant Director, Student Development & Logistics| hcraigie@jcu.edu  |216.397.6233
Lisa Morde |  Assistant Director, Student Engagement & Data Mgmt |  lmorde@jcu.edu  | 216.397.6227
John Jackson  |  Assistant Director, Community Partnerships |  jnjackson@jcu.edu   |  216.397.1662
Carolina Kane |  Administrative Assistant & Marketing Specialist |   cxkane@jcu.edu  | 216.397.2024
Amy Bartter  |   Administrative Assistant |   abartter@jcu.edu   |  216.397.4698
Josefina Moreno '18, '21G  |  Graduate Assistant |   jmoreno18@jcu.edu  | 216.397.6283
Blake Yoho '22G  |  Graduate Assistant |   byoho22@jcu.edu  | 216.397.6283
JCU Center for Service and Social Action
Administration Building | AD-32
Monday-Thursday, 8 am - 8 pm | Friday 8 am - 5 pm
216.397.4698 |  (f) 216.397.1661

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