Author Archives: Alison Lewis

New Summer Volunteer Opportunities!

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For more information about these or other volunteer opportunities, contact Community Engagement Coordinator Ashley Calkins at jcalkins@middlebury.edu.

This Week’s Features:

Help HOPE deliver gleaned produce to and from the Middlebury Farmer’s Market 

The Addison County Emergency Food Shelf at HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects) provides food to nearly 600 people each month. Adam Sawamura is working with HOPE this summer to collect extra produce gleaned from local farms for the food shelf.

Wednesday, August 1st: A volunteer with a car is needed for help out at the Middlebury farmer’s market in the Marbleworks from noon until 12:45pm. Volunteer responsibilities are as follows: arrive at the farmer’s market at noon, drop off gleaning boxes at farm stands, pick up gleaning boxes at the end of the market (12:35ish), and drive them to the HOPE office on Boardman street to be stored in the freezer. Interested? Email Adam Sawamura, asawamura@middlebury.edu.

Read with a new friend

A retired gentleman with visual impairment is looking for someone to help read to him in his home in Addison, VT. If transportation is not available, arrangements could be made to meet in Middlebury. Timing is flexible and can be negotiated, though sessions would likely last 1.5 – 2 hours. This opportunity can be summer-only or more long-term. Please call 802.759.2777 for more details and to make arrangements.

Volunteer at Open Door Clinic’s health screenings

The Open Door Clinic is a free clinic sponsored by Community Health Services of Addison County, a local non-profit agency dedicated to insuring access to health care for all, regardless of financial circumstances.

The Open Door Clinic is seeking volunteers to assist with intake and other tasks at their annual health screening at Addison County Fair and Field Days, held August 7-11, 2012, at Addison County Fairgrounds in New Haven. This annual event gives ODC the opportunity to provide basic health screening and education for over 400 Addison County residents and other Field Days visitors. Please check this Google Docs schedule and email Kay Freedy (outreach.opendoor@gmail.com) back with the dates, times, and roles you are willing to fill. The blood pressure and blood glucose station positions can only be filled by registered nurses and physicians, while intake, skin screening, and “GMC/extra” slots are vital roles than anyone can fill.  As an added incentive and thank you for your service, ODC provides free passes for volunteers for the day(s) that they work.

Volunteer at Community Lunch

Middlebury Community Lunch organizers prepare lunches for community members who are at risk of hunger – sometimes feeding 150 people a day at the Charter House.  They are seeking volunteers to help set up lunch buffets, make coffee and sandwiches, and assist with clean up.  Volunteers are fully trained and may choose to work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from 10:30am – 12:30pm, depending upon their availability.  Please call 802-388-7044 to sign up.

Welcome First-Years!

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July 2012

Hello, and welcome to Middlebury! I hope that you’re excited for all the adventures that you’re about to begin here! My name is Ali Lewis, and I’m a junior from Colorado. In my two years here so far, the Center for Education in Action (EIA) has been a huge part of my Middlebury experience. Through my involvement with various volunteer service organizations and internships, I’ve been able to form connections with fellow students and community members here in Addison County and across the world. So while you’re out enjoying summer, I wanted to drop you a quick note about the work we do. (You can also check us out at www.middlebury.edu/studentlife/eia.)

Your experience at Middlebury can expand way beyond the classroom; Civic Engagement staff are here to support you if you want to mentor youth in town, work in environmental preservation in Ecuador, teach English to migrant farm workers, or even design and fund your own civic engagement project here or abroad. EIA’s mission is “empowering students to apply their liberal arts education and engage in the world through their professional pursuits, active citizenship, and life’s work.” Basically, Civic Engagement advises volunteer organizations and independent service projects, supports community-connected coursework and research, and works to prepare you for life after college.

With fellow students on MAlt D.R.

I’ve been especially involved with Middlebury Alternative Break Trips (MAlt) through Civic Engagement, traveling with fellow students to El Paso, Texas during my first year to learn firsthand about the conflicts of immigration at the border, and this year leading twelve students to the Dominican Republic to participate in educational programs for children with a non-profit. I grew so much through those trips as a leader and an individual.  I hope that we’ll see many of you at the MAlt information session in early October, and maybe in the applicant pool for this year’s trips!

EIA Civic Engagement is a wonderful place to start planting your roots at Middlebury. By becoming engaged in service and activism on campus, you’ll meet amazing students, build relationships in the Vermont community or beyond, and make a difference related to causes you care about. Be sure to stop by the MiddAction Fair (Wednesday, September 19th, 6:00-7:30—you’ll get an email with more information when you arrive on campus) to learn about the wide range of opportunities for civic engagement, from local not-for-profits to national and international initiatives. We have tons of programs and resources to help you follow—or discover—your passions.

Also, feel free to write email me with any questions you might have or stop by our office anytime! We’re located in Adirondack House, which is in the circle drive by Ross Dining Hall.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to seeing you around at Midd!

~Ali Lewis

atlewis@middlebury.edu

At Casa Vides on MAlt El Paso

P.S. Here are some great opportunities to start exploring the Middlebury community during Orientation: Join MiddVote as they spray paint t-shirts to raise voter awareness at 1 pm on Wednesday, September 5th! They’ll have plenty of information for you to learn about voter registration in the fall. And on Saturday, September 8th at 1pm, travel with fellow first-years to a local orchard for apple picking (a Vermont tradition!). Afterwards, we’ll visit the Middlebury food shelf at HOPE (Helping to Overcome Poverty’s Effects) to donate our bushels and get a brief introduction to the work done there.