Our Theme for Day Four: Supporting Community Centers
Community grounds us. In these uncertain times it is inspiring to feel the sense of strong community, even while we are physically apart. Many of our partners’ missions are to build strong communities. From family centers to adaptive learning and play environments, these agencies are working to create safe and engaging places for their constituents. We all benefit from the great work our partners do.
The
Fatima Family Center
is an anchor in the Hough neighborhood. The Center offers pastoral counseling, cultural, leadership and development activities for children and youth, homework assistance, summer camp, field trips and recreational programs for all ages. John Carroll students work directly with their after school program and the senior citizens.
Another partner that is rooted in Cleveland’s history is
Eliza Bryant Village.
The institution has been taking care of the elderly in Cleveland since 1896. It is the oldest continually-operating African American-founded long-term care facility in the United States. Eliza Bryant offers many forms of care including skilled nursing and rehabilitation, adult day care and senior outreach, and independent senior housing. John Carroll students engage with the seniors in a variety of ways through music therapy, games, arts and crafts, and a nail salon.
Jennings Center’s Opening Minds through Art
also invites students to access their artistic abilities to help build community. The program is designed to provide opportunities for creative self-expression and social engagement for people with Dementia and other forms of neurocognitive disorders.
Community spaces provide a welcoming, nurturing environment for people with special needs and abilities to feel seen and accepted as well.
Partnerships with the
YouthAbility,
a Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland program, serves special needs youth and young adults by engaging them in volunteer service, vocational activities, and social enrichment. Other partners work to provide safe accepting places as well.
L’Arche
homes provide adults with disabilities a nurturing community of friendship and support.
Building Blocks Therapy
helps children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder in a 1:1 setting. Programs like
Yoga Reach
, adaptive basketball, and game nights at the
Mayfield Village Adaptive Recreation Center
are activities where JCU students build community, and bridge the gap of any difference with shared fun experiences.
Love and unconditional acceptance are the foundation of community. Whether it is a group, place, or space, these partners offer the people they serve a welcoming place to build community and thrive in the Cleveland community. We are collectively better as a result of what they offer.
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Chose ONE or more activities below:
1-
Write Letters to Senior Citizens
Write letters to uplift senior citizens during this period of social distancing! Social distancing has led older adults to be isolated from their loved ones. It’s extremely important during this time to ensure that seniors are positively engaged and supported during COVID-19. Write letters to senior citizens at
Eliza Bryant Village and/or the Fatima Family Center
. If you feel comfortable, share your own address so that seniors write you back. You can also email CSSA your letter and we will share with our community partners.
Some tips:
- Embrace creativity! Share a poem or insert a small drawing into the letter.
- Pretend that you're in the room actually talking with them. Make your letters detailed, thoughtful and heartfelt.
- Be kind and thoughtful (more than talking about yourself). You might not receive a letter back, so remember that the possibility of no reciprocation attached is part of the beauty of your act of kindness. Also, the recipients will not feel burdened by feeling obligated or being unable to respond during this time.
- Be encouraging and uplifting - make the letters cheerful to put the seniors in good moods.
Letters to Eliza Bryant can be sent to:
Eliza Bryant Village
Attn. Joan Palumbo
7201 Wade Park Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44103
Letters to Fatima Family Center can be sent to:
Fatima Family Center
Attn. Ms. LaJean Ray
6600 Lexington Ave
Cleveland, OH 44103
Share your letter with us! On social media, tag
@jcu_cssa
on Instagram or send us an email at
service@jcu.edu
with your letter and we will forward
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2- Participate in an activity with YouthAbility
The
YouthAbility
program creates meaningful experiences for students with disabilities. These young adults continue to meet multiple times every week through
online Zoom activities.
John Carroll students are no longer joining them in person, so they invite you to select one activity next week for a special program open to the entire John Carroll community. They look forward to seeing you!
Register
HERE
to select your activity.
You will receive a Zoom link to join in from YouthAbility.
Monday, April 27, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
PANTOMIME
Use hand and full body movements to tell a story.
Tuesday, April 28, 6:00 - 7:00 pm
SHOW PRACTICE
Sing songs from our show RESPECT and other tunes.
Thursday, April 30, 8:30 - 9:15 am
YOGA
Namaste! Our yoga teacher Wendy will help us start our day with movement and peacefulness
Thursday, April 30, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
ZOOM-BA
Group exercise in the virtual era — bring a chair , two cans (we will use them as weights) and a smile
Friday, May 1, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
CONVERSATION CLUB
The morning email will include questions.
Register for an activity
HERE
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3-
Reach out to your neighbors, near and far
While we keep our physical distance to keep our communities healthy, it is more important than ever to highlight and strengthen our social connections. Connect with your neighbors in one of the following ways:
- Make a sidewalk chalk or window decoration message to your neighbors.
- Offer to do yard work or run an errand for someone in your neighborhood.
- Text, call, or email someone that you have not spoken to in the last two months (maybe someone from John Carroll!)
Share your connection with us! On Instagram, tag
@jcu_cssa
or send us an email at
service@jcu.edu
with a photo of how you are keeping connected!
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How to participate and share your actions:
• Take photographs or videos of each of the daily challenges you choose to participate in.
• You have three options for sharing your challenge with us:
- On Instagram, make a post, tag @jcu_cssa and use the hashtags: #JWOS2020, #jcucssa, #servecle, and #servicechallenge. Your profile must be public for us to view your photos
- Direct Message @jcu_cssa on Instagram with your photos
- Email service@jcu.edu with your images and videos
• Look for your photos and videos in the "JWOS Showcase of Service" video on Saturday!
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*Please note that CSSA may choose to share your photographs or videos and use your content for marketing purposes unless you specify you would not like your photographs or videos to be used*
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Community Partner Spotlight: Fatima Family Center
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Fatima Family Center, located in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood, provides programs and services for all ages, including cultural, leadership and development activities for children and youth, homework assistance, summer camp, field trips and recreational programs. Fatima also provides adult services including parenting classes, computer lab, health screenings and food pantry. Older adults can benefit from socialization activities designed specifically for them.
Originally established in 1973 as a pastoral counseling and outreach ministry of Our Lady of Fatima parish, Fatima Family Center prominently anchors the Hough community with a 26,000 square foot facility developed by Catholic Charities and dedicated in 2000. In 2002 Fatima was recognized by the Annie E. Casey Foundation as one of the top five family centers in the United States.
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Learn more
about the partnership between JCU and Fatima Family Center in this short
video.
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Partner Voices: Ms. LaJean Ray,
Director of Fatima Family Center
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Hear from Ms. LaJean Ray, Director of Fatima Family Center, on the issues and challenges facing the community during this time and how the Fatima Family Center is responding, what Fatima Family Center is doing during this time, and challenges they are facing. Also hear how they are staying strong and hopeful in these times and listen to a final message to the JCU community!
JCU is meeting with Fatima Family Center leaders next week to continue to explore the ways we can work together in meeting community needs.
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Sustainability Suggestion: Reduce Material Waste
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Did you know that more than 15 million tons of used textile waste is generated each year in the United State alone? Less than 20% of that waste is recycled while the majority goes to the landfill. Part of your clothing that is thrown into the landfill is made of synthetic material, and will not decompose for hundreds of years.
“Fast fashion” is a major contribution to this massive waste. High turnover of trends results in clothes being produced quickly. These clothes are affordable for consumers, yet carry a great cost to the environment and human rights. Fast fashion brands sell clothes that are made in big factories and are made from poor quality materials.
So, what can you do? Ethical, or conscious consumerism is a great step toward change. Every time you go shopping, ask yourself these questions:
“Do I need it?”
and
“Does this company match my ethics?”
Reflecting on your purchases before you buy them is a way to reduce your post-consumer waste!
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Don't forget to check out CSSA's Instagram Story (
@jcu_cssa
) to see the Sustainability Interns' daily video!
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Reflection: 8:00 pm on Instagram
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for a reflection by Drew!
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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
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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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