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"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act."
- Proverbs 3:27
Happy Start of Fall 2020 Virtual Service!
Happy start of virtual service! We wish you the all best as you begin your fall semester of virtual service with CSSA!
Fall 2020: What does virtual service look like?

While our traditional service drives aren't running this semester, our community engagement work continues virtually. It is important now more than ever to think about how we can nurture a spirit of community, shared responsibility, hope, and connection so that we can truly be men and women with and for others - everyday. Although we aren't on campus, there is much you can do to make a difference in the lives of others. Our community partners need you now more than ever - even virtually!

We are offering a host of virtual service opportunities this semester:
- Service-learning courses
- Voluntary weekly service opportunities,
- Advocacy opportunities
- Community-building projects
- Weekly community engagement challenges.
* Many of our service opportunities are held through Zoom and other online platforms where JCU students will be working directly with members of the community.

Be sure to also read our E-newsletter each week, for one-time weekly service events, engagement challenges, and advocacy opportunities. Our weekly challenges are a good introduction to service for those who have never tried it before, and introduce you to a variety of community engagement opportunities. These service activities are open to anyone!



Ride along to our community partners with CSSA Student Leadership Team members Delaney and Caroline in our video! While we can't see the partners in person this fall, we are so excited for JCU students to connect virtually with these wonderful organizations!
Weekly Service Challenge: Request Your Mail-In Ballot
Find out about absentee and/or early voting where you live at nass.org! Select in the dropdown menu, the state where your permanent address is located and you will see the steps you must take to request your mail-in ballot and the important voter deadlines in your state.

Need to know when your mail-in ballot request form is due? Visit usvotefoundation.org to find a list of election dates and deadlines for your state.

For those of you living in Ohio, visit Frank LaRose, Ohio's Secretary of State's website to print your Ohio Absentee Ballot Request form.
Ohio's Absentee Ballot Application Deadline is:
  • Received by noon, Saturday October 31
Your Absentee Ballot Return Deadline is:
  • Postmarked by: Monday November 2, 2020
  • In-Person: Received by Tuesday November 3, 2020 7:30pm EST
  • Post received by: Friday November 13, 2020
Learn: What Does Race & Economic Justice Look Like?
Join CAMPUSPEAK and Joseph Richardson for a Free Webinar on Wednesday, September 23 at 3PM!

We are living in a time when the microscope of society is looking at the concept of justice with concern, if not fear. People are asking the question, does justice come at the cost of someone else’s liberty, freedom, or advancement? Joe uses personal experiences as a lawyer, community member, and African-American man to define the concept of “justice” and challenges participants to move society towards a future of equity and lasting change—where everyone wins.

Advocate: National Voter Registration Day 9/22
Every year millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote. On Tuesday September 22, 2020 volunteers and organizations from all over the country will “hit the streets” in a single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts. National Voter Registration Day seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise.

Explore this toolkit, a collection of resources at your disposal to help you get #VoteReady this fall. What is #VoteReady? Getting registered is the first step, but once you’ve done that, what’s next? National Voter Registration Day is here to help with some resources for not just getting registered, but also getting ready to vote and have your voice heard. Be sure to share on social media how you get #VoteReady!

Ohio's voter registration deadline is Monday October 5, 2020!

Stay Engaged and Connected Virtually
Explore our website, https://www.cssaengagecle.org/ to find ways to stay connected, get involved from home, and continue to advocate for social justice. We will be continuously adding new content! 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, get links to TED Talks, and hear from our featured students about service with CSSA!

Follow @jcu_cssa on Instagram now!
The Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice
Are you interested in diving deeper into social justice and connecting with students from other universities and also within our JCU community? If so, participate in the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ), which runs virtually from Oct. 19-26 and will include speakers such James Martin SJ, Sr. Helen Prejean, Greg Boyle SJ, Sr. Simone Campbell, Bryan Massignale SJ, Bishop Mark Seitz, and others. We will come together as a John Carroll group to debrief after the weekend sessions and a few times after the conference. Cost for JCU students is $10. Sign up here if you are interested and we will be in touch with more information.

Holy Spirit Church Opportunity
Parish School of Religion at Holy Spirit Catholic Church is looking for two John Carroll students to help successfully deliver online instructions to PSR students and parents. The PSR program is continuing remotely this fall and they are looking for students to help support technology use and procedures. They are requesting approximately 3 hours, every second Saturday of each month for assistance.

If you are interested in assisting Parish School of Religion at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, please contact Dr. Reiko Simmons at rsimmons@jcu.edu
Get Involved with Village in the Heights
Village in the Heights is a nonprofit all-volunteer organization that services University Heights, Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, South Euclid, and Lyndhurst. Their members/clients are active older adults living independently in their own homes, who occasionally need help with transportation, light duty home repairs, and visitation.  

Right now, they are seeking people who will deliver groceries and prescriptions to members, once an individual member places and prepays their orders online or by phone.

THIS IS A NO-CONTACT PROCESS.
- Purchases are prepaid - so no money handled by driver
- Purchased goods are placed in driver's car
- Driver contacts member by phone or text to say the merchandise is on its way
- Merchandise is left in front of Village member's door
- Driver again contacts member to say delivery is complete.

Interested in getting involved with Village in the Heights? Find out more and register HERE. Questions? Email service@jcu.edu.
Intern at The City Mission
The City Mission empowers men, women, and children in crisis to overcome their unique, complex paths to homelessness. The City Mission is looking for bright, energetic students and recent grads to fill a wide variety of semester-long paid internships. Some roles are on the front lines of ministering to men, women and children experiencing crisis. Some are administrative or community engagement focused. Each internship is designed to benefit both the student and the Mission in the most meaningful ways possible. If you desire an internship in a ministry setting that offers challenging and inspiring opportunities, The City Mission might be the place for you. Visit https://www.thecitymission.org/internships/ for more information and to browse available internships.

Questions?  Email intern@thecitymission.org, or call Jaime Buxton, Volunteer and Internship Services Supervisor at (216) 431-3510, ext. 317.
Our #MyMagisMessage for the week comes from CSSA Student Leadership Team member, Alana Okuley, a junior Psychology major with Spanish and Leadership Development minors from Sylvania, OH! Alana has served with Rainbow Connects, Carroll Reads and YouthAbility.

If you had to state your life mission off the top of your head, in one sentence, what would it be?
Be the change you wish to see in the world and live each moment to its absolute fullest, spreading peace to all beings everywhere.

#MyMagisMessage
To me, the word Magis serves as a reminder to always go an extra mile, past the extra mile. We hear this simple phrase so often in life, in many different contexts, and from many different people. We hear it from our parents, our professors, our friends, our coaches, our bosses, and the wild family members at holiday parties. "Always work you hardest and put 110% into everything you do." It is an extremely valid tidbit of advice, but I also think there is a larger piece missing. My family has our own little magis motto that we like to live by. There is not a conversation with my parents that goes by without hearing "work hard, play harder." Yes it's important to work hard, but also to find the joy in doing so. This is something that I strive to incorporate into my everyday life, especially when it comes to service.

This past summer, I decided to get my certification to teach yoga. A huge part of our training process was the importance of Karma, being of service to others. When we started discussing various ways to serve others through our practice, I was super excited because this was a familiar and comfortable topic for me. It, however, did not take long before I was back to the unfamiliar and challenged in my thoughts. We talked about the importance of serving others, but also serving ourselves. This new way of looking at service, through a yogic point of view, helped me to finally gain a better understanding of how service is a two way street. In order to give others our best, we also have to give ourselves our very best. This goes right back to working hard, but playing even harder.

Impact is a big word. I think everyone out there wants to make an impact. We all want to do something with our lives, make something better, help others, and serve a purpose. In order to do this we have to also serve ourselves and ultimately create the opportunity to play harder everyday.
Monday, September 21 .... First Day of Fall 2020 Virtual Service
Tuesday, September 22 .... National Voter Registration Day
Wednesday, September 23 .... Joseph Richardson Webinar | 3:00 pm
October 19-26 .... Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice
Tuesday, November 3 .... Election Day
Sr. Katherine Feely, SND, Ed.D  | Director |   kfeely@jcu.edu   | 216.397.1966
Heather Craigie | Assistant Director, Student Development & Logistics|hcraigie@jcu.edu |216.397.6233
John Jackson  | Assistant Director, Community Partnerships | jnjackson@jcu.edu  |  216.397.1662
Carolina Kane |  Marketing Specialist |  cxkane@jcu.edu | 216.397.2024
Amy Bartter  |  Administrative Assistant |  abartter@jcu.edu  |  216.397.4698
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

Stay Connected!