Community Engagement

Announcing the Middlebury Alternative Break (MAlt) Service Trips for February Break 2013!

This year’s trips will focus on border and immigration issues (El Paso, TX), cultural and environmental awareness (Cherokee Nation), conservation in El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico), women’s empowerment (Dominican Republic), and the US prison system (New York).

The application—please read directions carefully!—is due by Wednesday, October 10th at 5:00 pm to Ashley Calkins in Room 210 of the Center for Education in Action (EIA) on the second floor of Adirondack House.

MAlt participant application: Participant application 2013

Fundraisers from now through J-term ensure that those who need financial assistance to fund their trips will be able to participate (you don’t need to be on financial aid from the College to receive MAlt financial assistance). Each participant must pay at least 25% of the cost—but you have until mid-January to do it! All costs below are estimates and will be finalized soon—cost includes transportation, lodging, and food. MAlt is a perfect opportunity to get involved with rewarding and meaningful service work during break as well as a great way to connect to a new community!

Questions? Check out this “Intro to MAlt 2012-2013”, or e-mail MAlt co-chairs Charlotte Zelle (czelle@middlebury.edu) or Maya Neria (mneria@middlebury.edu).

Trip Descriptions:
Conserving a Tropical Ecosystem Treasure (Puerto Rico): We will focus on environmental conservation efforts in Puerto Rico’s El Yunque Rainforest, a tropical rainforest with a wide diversity of flora and fauna including many species that occur nowhere else in the world. Activities include forest maintenance projects and environmental education projects to support the El Yunque National Forest Service’s efforts to educate the thousands of tourists who visit El Yunque every year. The trip also involves engaging with researchers in the rainforest to learn the effects of climate change and land use in El Yunque.
Trip Leaders: Justin Koatz ‘13 and Maggie Khuu ‘13
Approximate Cost: $500

Examining a Broken Justice System (New York City): To better understand the complexities of the current U.S. retributive justice system, we will visit organizations in New York City related to the pre- and post-incarceration process. Topics will include juvenile sentencing, education, and alternative methods to incarceration. By working with representatives from non-profits, legislatures and juvenile halls, we will examine all steps of the incarceration and re-entry process through a variety of lenses. We hope that through this trip, participants will challenge their preconceived notions about today’s prison system and continue related service work in the future.
Trip Leaders: Lydia Gordon ’15 and Maya Neria ’15
Approximate Cost:$250

Breaking Through Preconceptions (Cherokee Nation): Rediscover history when you visit the land of the Cherokee near the Smokey Blue Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. Immerse yourself in their culture and traditions while passing on your own by interacting with the elderly at the Senior Center and tutoring and playing games with youth at the Recreation Center. Learn from members of the community about the issues they face as a nation within a nation and take part in an ongoing effort to maintain the cultural land of the Cherokee “where eagles nest and bears still roam.”
Trip leaders:Mika Tan ’15 and Emily Hoang ’15
Approximate cost: $700

Different Voices, New Perspectives Along Mexico/US Border (El Paso): Students will travel to El Paso, Texas, a city that shares a border with Mexico, living and working at a shelter for undocumented migrants. We will assist in the daily running of the shelter, attend border education workshops, and meet the many faces of migration, from activists and migrants to government and law enforcement officials.
Trip Leaders: Amanda Pertierra ‘13 and Hannah Postel ’13
Approximate cost: $775

Empowering Local Communities (Dominican Republic): We will work with the Mariposa DR Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to empower women through various educational and health programs. The Mariposa DR Foundation is committed to helping children, especially girls, gain access to quality education and to provide to provide girls with a comfortable environment where they can develop a strong sense of self. During this trip, we will help to develop English programs and work on sustainability initiatives in the community.
Trip Leaders: Rana Abdelhamid ‘15 and Lily Ghebrai ‘15
Approximate cost: $875

Register to vote or request an absentee ballot
There is still time to register to vote and request an absentee ballot prior to the November general election – however many states’ deadlines are coming up in the next week so now it the time to act! Register to vote and find more information at Rock the Vote. If you need an envelope + stamp to mail in your registration or have questions, visit Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator in the Center for Education in Action (Rm. 210, Adirondack House).

MAlt Information Session
Wednesday, Oct. 3rd 8:00 p.m. BiHall Rm. 216
Attend this info session to learn about applying for the student-led February 2013 Middlebury Alternative Break Trips. Trips will focus border and immigration issues (El Paso, TX), cultural and environmental awareness (Cherokee Nation), conservation in El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico), women’s empowerment (Dominican Republic), and the US prison system (New York). Questions? Contact MAlt Co-chair Charlotte Zelle, czelle@middlebury.edu.

Can you use scissors and tie knots?
Then you can make Brady Blankets for Porter Hospital and the VT Children’s Hospital!
Saturday, Oct. 6, 9 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Location: Mt. Abraham High School Bristol, VT
To register to volunteer call: 802-453-2376 or just show up. Join the fun for one hour or all morning… This is a great project for your family, friends, sports team, club or organization!

Swimming Partner Needed
A community member is seeking a gym partner and college student friend. This individual is an enthusiastic young woman with a cognitive delay as a result of chronic heart problems. Interested? Email Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu.

Native Spanish speaker?
Or have you been studying Spanish for some time and want to put it to good use? Consider becoming a mentor for a local Spanish-speaking child! Community Friends, a campus-based mentoring program that matches Middlebury College students with children of Addison County ages six twelve, is seeking a willing volunteer to be a mentor for a Latino child that is in need of different experiences. Take him to a hockey game, practice your Spanish together while taking a walk. The possibilities are endless. You could be an important part of this child’s life by simply meeting up and being yourself on a regular basis! Flexible meeting times, no car required, and alternate ways of transportation are available at no cost. For more information about the program, or to apply to be either one of these or another child’s mentor, please visit our website (go/cf), get in contact with a student coordinator or contact Nestor Martinez ’10 (nmartinez@middlebury.edu).

Homework helpers needed at Beeman
Beeman Elementary School is seeking volunteers to serve as Homework Helpers on Tuesday, Wednesdays, or Thursdays from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. (Pick a day based on your schedule!) Interested? Contact Ashley Calkins, jcalkins@middlebury.edu.

Parlez-vous Français?
A volunteer is needed to tutor a high school student in French at the Middlebury Union High School Learning Lab. The student is available between 10:10 – 11:30 a.m. Monday – Friday and could meet during those times based on your schedule. Interested? Contact Jim Burnett, jburnett@addisoncentralsu.org.

Four-year-olds starting violin: Volunteers needed
Mary Hogan Elementary School is starting a Suzuki-principled violin program this fall. Four year-old students will be invited to take part in this part of our project which will occur four days/week (most likely, M-TH) between 11AM-noon. Volunteers with string experience are needed to volunteer with the program – we can base volunteers shifts on your schedule! Interested? Contact Ultima Danforth, udanforth@addisoncentralsu.org.

Become a Reading Buddy
Bridport Central School is seeking 12 volunteers to act as Reading Buddies. Volunteers will be asked to commit to one hour each week reading one-on-one with a preschool student and completing a literacy related project or activity. Seven volunteers are needed on Tuesdays from 9:45-10:45 and five volunteers are needed on Thursdays from 12:15-1:15. If you are interested or would like more information please contact Beth Bearor, Preschool Teacher, by e-mail at bbearor@addisoncentralsu.org or by phone Monday-Thursday at 758-2331.

Join DREAM! Become a Mentor!
The DREAM Program is a non-profit mentoring organization that builds communities of families and college students that empower children from disadvantaged circumstances to recognize their options, make informed decisions, and achieve their dreams! DREAM is looking for new mentors to visit the children of the Pine Meadow and John Graham Court Neighborhoods in Middlebury Friday afternoons. The only requirements are enthusiasm and energy to spend time with kids! For more information, email Simran Sabharwal at ssabharwal@middlebury.edu.

Need money for service? Apply to the Service Cluster Board Flex Fund to finance your initiatives
Whether it is transportation expenses or ingredients to cook meals at the community lunch program, we want to help you serve others. Click on “Service Cluster Board Flex Fund” here to find our application. Email scboard@middlebury.edu for more information

Questions? If you have questions about any of these volunteer opportunities or want to learn more ways to get involved in the local community, contact Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu, 802.443.3099

Monkton World Language Program Information Session
Thursday, Sept. 27 6:30 p.m. Twilight 201
The Monkton Central School World Language Program has been in existence for about 10 years with great success. It introduces children from kindergarten through sixth grade to a different language and culture, an experience which, hopefully, will be continued during middle and high school. Middlebury College students teach various languages six times during the semester, on either Tuesday or Thursday. To learn more attend the information session or contact Jennifer Stanley, jstanley@wildblue.net.

Apply for the Oct. Break Middlebury Alternative Break Trip to Merck Forest and Farmland Center
Application deadline: Friday, Sept. 28th
Visit here for more information and an application.
Join us for the fifth annual October MAlt break trip to breathtakingly beautiful Merck Forest & Farmland Center in southern Vermont at the height of the foliage season led by Tshering Yudon ‘13 and Teddy Pendergast ‘13. Merck Forest’s mission is to teach and demonstrate the benefits of innovative, sustainable management of forest and farmland. Our work will likely include trail maintenance in the forest and helping with the harvest. We will be camping (sleeping in a cabin) and cooking together as a group in fall temperatures ranging from 40-60 degrees during the day and 30-50 degrees at night. It’s about a two-mile hike into the site. We’ll depart Saturday ~12pm, Oct. 13, (leaving after the Dalai Lama talk is over) and return late afternoon on Monday, Oct. 15. Camping gear can be provided!

Did you ever wonder what all the fuss is about at Whirlie’s World?
Then let a local eight-year old girl show you! Community Friends, a campus-based mentoring program that matches Middlebury College students with children of Addison County ages six to twelve, is seeking a “big sister to do fun things with” for this child. Take a walk, read books together, make a bead necklace, play mini-golf at Whirlie’s World! The possibilities are endless. You could be an important part of this young girl’s life by simply meeting up and being yourself on a regular basis! Flexible meeting times, no car required, and alternate ways of transportation are available. For more information about the program, or to apply to be this or another child’s mentor, please visit our website (go/cf), get in contact with a student coordinator or contact Nestor Martinez ’10 (nmartinez@middlebury.edu).

Spanish-speaking volunteers needed to work with preschool students!
Head Start is seeking Spanish-speaking volunteers to work with two Spanish-speaking three-year-olds who don’t speak any English. Volunteers are needed Tues, Wed, and Thurs mornings between 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. (flexible schedule based on volunteer availability). Interested students should contact either Michael Katz (802-462-2899) or Head Start teachers Helen or Lisa (802-382-1478).

Want to volunteer at grandma’s house?
Join us at Living Well, a residential care home in Bristol, where we celebrate the wisdom and achievements of our elders every day! Flexible volunteer opportunities available. Interested? Contact Sudeshna Trivedi, Volunteer Development Coordinator, sudeshna@livingwellvt.org

Native speakers of Amharic: Volunteer Opportunity
A local family with an adopted child from Ethiopia is seeking a native Amharic speaker to volunteer with their child. Interested? Contact Ashley Calkins, jcalkins@middlebury.edu.

Womensafe Volunteer Training Announcement
WomenSafe in Middlebury works toward the elimination of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women and their children through direct service, education and social change. Apply to become a volunteer and sign-up for required volunteer training here. Volunteer opportunities include working on the hotline, helping with education and awareness, and providing special events assistance. [Note: Required training for fall volunteers starts on September 27th! Take action and fill out your application today]

Questions? If you have questions about any of these volunteer opportunities or want to learn more ways to get involved in the local community, contact Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu, 802.443.3099

Middlebury Alternative Break (MAlt) Service Trip for October Break 2012!
Merck Forest & Farmland Center
Applications due Sept. 28
Join us for the fifth annual October MAlt break trip to breathtakingly beautiful Merck Forest & Farmland Center in southern Vermont at the height of the foliage season led by Tshering Yudon ‘13 and Teddy Pendergast ‘13. Merck Forest’s mission is to teach and demonstrate the benefits of innovative, sustainable management of forest and farmland. Our work will likely include trail maintenance in the forest and helping with the harvest. We will be camping (sleeping in a cabin) and cooking together as a group in fall temperatures ranging from 40-60 degrees during the day and 30-50 degrees at night. It’s about a two-mile hike into the site.

We’ll depart Saturday ~12pm, Oct. 13, (leaving after the Dalai Lama talk is over) and return late afternoon on Monday, Oct. 15. Camping gear can be provided!

Website: www.merckforest.org
Issue: Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture
Cost per person: $30 (financial aid is available if necessary)
Questions? Contact Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, EIA jcalkins@middlebury.edu.
Application Deadline: Friday, September 28th to Teddy Pendergast via email at ependergast@middlebury.edu.
See attached application: Merck participant application 2012

MiddAction Fair
Wednesday, Sept. 19th 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
McCullough Social Space
Come learn about opportunities to volunteer and get involved in the local community! Engage with over 50 non-profit organizations and student service groups to learn how you can get involved in local activism, volunteering, social justice, and service-learning activities in areas such as education, literacy, youth mentoring, environment, emergency services, public health, poverty, hunger, housing, and much more. Questions? Contact Ashley Calkins, jcalkins@middlebury.edu.

MiddVOTE Registration Drive (+absentee ballot requests!)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
4:30–7:30 p.m. Outside the Gamut Room (rain location Crossroads Cafe)
MiddVote is hosting a non-partisan voter registration drive! Come if you want to register to vote, apply for an absentee ballot, or have questions about the voting process! This is a great opportunity to make sure you are registered to vote in time for the November elections. Volunteers are needed to help out at the event, if you are interested email Julia Welsh, jwelsh@middlebury.edu.

United Way Days of Caring: Habitat for Humanity build in Cornwall
Volunteer to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity this Saturday, Sept. 22nd at 9:30 a.m. Transportation provided from campus. If you might be interested in participating in Habitat builds this is a great introduction! To sign up email Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu.

Enjoy a Saturday picking apples at Sunrise Orchards
United Church in Underhill is looking for student volunteers to help pick apples on September 22nd from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Sunrise Orchards in Cornwall for their Harvest Market Days (they need to pick 350 bushels!). Interested? Contact Dave Clift, 202-764-4419, daclift59@yahoo.com.

myAmerica? An Immigration Symposium
Come learn more about America’s immigration dilemma through art, poetry, journalism, and more. Visit go/myamerica? to see the complete schedule.

Page 1 Information Meeting
Thursday, Sept. 20th 5:30 p.m.
Ross Basement B11
Do you love reading, children, and volunteering? Come check out student organization Page 1 for a great volunteer opportunity in local schools! Questions? Contact pageone@middlebury.edu.

Volunteer at St. Mary’s School
St. Mary’s Elementary School is seeking volunteers! Yard Duty Helper Monday – Friday from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to during recess to help supervise and play games with the children. After-school activities: 3:15 – 4:15 p.m. (flexible days) Volunteers are needed to lead a club (such as Chess Club, Math Club, Science Club, Fitness Club) for 4-6 weeks – creativity welcome! If you are interested in these opportunities please contact Angela Pohlen, smsprincipal@saintmarysvt.org.

DREAM
The DREAM Program is a non-profit mentoring organization that builds communities of families and college students that empower children from disadvantaged circumstances to recognize their options, make informed decisions, and achieve their dreams! DREAM is looking for new mentors to visit the children of the Pine Meadow and John Graham Court Neighborhoods in Middlebury on Friday afternoons. The only requirements are enthusiasm and energy to spend time with kids! For more information, email either Simran Sabharwal ’14 at ssabharwal@middlebury.edu or Emily Roach ’13 at eroach@middlebury.edu.

Womensafe Volunteer Training Announcement
WomenSafe in Middlebury works toward the elimination of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women and their children through direct service, education and social change. Apply to become a volunteer and sign-up for required volunteer training here. Volunteer opportunities include working on the hotline, helping with education and awareness, and providing special events assistance. [Note: Required training for fall volunteers starts on September 27th! Take action and fill out your application today]

Bridport Central Elementary School: host an after-school club
Bridport Central School (only 10 miles away from Middlebury!) is seeking volunteers to lead an after school club for elementary school students one afternoon a week from 2:25-3:40 p.m. for 6 weeks starting in October. You pick the topic – creative ideas welcome! Previous clubs have included card games, running, chess, jump rope, yoga, crafts, etc. Deadline is Sept. 27. Consider involving your athletic team or student organization in planning a club together! Contact Ashley Calkins, jcalkins@middlebury.edu, for a short application and more information. Funds can be provided for transportation and club supplies.

Willowell Foundation Artist Residency: volunteer mural assistant opportunity
The Willowell Foundation is hosting muralist and sculptor Marela Zacarías for a residency in September. Marela Zacarias lives in Brooklyn and grew up in Mexico City. She has created more than 30 large murals in the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala, often working with local communities and at-risk youth to envision, design and paint. During her residency, Marela will work with Walden students to paint a mural just beyond the entrance to the outdoor classroom. For the first time, she’ll be combining her sculptural paintings, which recall textiles, with muralism to create a dynamic, 3-dimensional “wall in the woods.” The Willowell Foundation is seeking two volunteer assistants to help with the mural project and related field trips and programming. Volunteers will preferably have experience with painting and/or sculpture. Interested? Contact Administrative Director Hannah Mueller, hannah@willowell.org, 973-306-9238.

Questions? If you have questions about any of these volunteer opportunities or want to learn more ways to get involved in the local community, contact Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu, 802.443.3099

Womensafe Volunteer Training Announcement
WomenSafe in Middlebury works toward the elimination of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women and their children through direct service, education and social change. Apply to become a volunteer and sign-up for required volunteer training here. Volunteer opportunities include working on the hotline, helping with education and awareness, and providing special events assistance. [Note: Required training for volunteers starts on September 27th! Take action and fill out your application today]

Join the 9/23 Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Join the Alzheimer’s Association, Vermont Chapter at the 2012 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sunday, September 23rd at the Shelburne Museum. This movement unites walkers across the country as we take one step closer to eliminating Alzheimer’s disease and reclaiming the future for millions. Visit www.alz.org/walk or call 800-272-3900 to sign up or start a team. Need transportation from Middlebury? Email Megan mmason@middlebury.edu.

Volunteers needed for 9/16 Tour de Farms
The 5th Annual Tour de Farms is scheduled for Sunday, September 16th in Shoreham, Vermont. This popular event consistently draws 500+ cyclists who choose among three established routes visiting farms to sample the incredible bounty of food that is available in the area. Sign up to volunteer by contacting shelby@ruralvermont.org.

Four-year-olds starting violin: Volunteers needed!
Mary Hogan Elementary School is starting a Suzuki-principled violin program this fall. Four year-old students will be invited to take part in this part of our project which will occur four days/week (most likely, M-TH) between 11AM-noon. Volunteers with string experience are needed to volunteer with the program – we can base volunteers shifts on your schedule! Interested? Contact Ultima Danforth, udanforth@addisoncentralsu.org.

September 12th: College Defensive Driving Class [Required to drive campus vehicles!]
This program is required for anyone who wishes to rent a College passenger or 15-passenger vehicle. If you might want to use a campus vehicle for volunteering in 2012-2013 get prepared by taking this class! There is no cost for the class but a driving orientation (a 1 hour review on the road) is required for 15-passenger Vans and larger vehicles. Class time is about 2 Hrs. REMINDER: A valid state license is required to take the class. Individuals wanting a 15-Passenger Van license must have 3 years of driving experience. To sign up email Ed Sullivan, Sullivan@middlebury.edu. Upcoming class: September 12, 9:00 a.m., Mitchell Green Lounge

Become a Reading Buddy!
Bridport Central School is seeking 12 volunteers to act as Reading Buddies. Volunteers will be asked to commit to one hour each week reading one-on-one with a preschool student and completing a literacy related project or activity. Seven volunteers are needed on Tuesdays from 9:45-10:45 and five volunteers are needed on Thursdays from 12:15-1:15. If you are interested or would like more information please contact Beth Bearor, Preschool Teacher, by e-mail at bbearor@addisoncentralsu.org or by phone Monday-Thursday at 758-2331.

Town Hall Theater: Flea Market Volunteers needed
We need two strong people to help move furniture on Saturday, September 14th from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. We need three strong people to help move furniture on 9/14 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Interested? Contact Barbara Blodgett, barbarablodgett@comcast.net, 802-388-8268

Community Friends
Enjoy making an impact in someone’s life? Want to strengthen the community in which you’ll be spending time? Become a mentor for Community Friends! Since 1960 Community Friends has been matching Middlebury College students with children from Addison County. Mentors and mentees spend time together weekly, exploring whatever interests may arise out of these friendships. Many of the matched pairs often develop wonderful relationships that last throughout the volunteer’s time at Middlebury College and beyond. To find out more about this and other opportunities, please contact Nestor Martinez, Mentoring and Youth Programs Coordinator, at 802.443.3010, nmartinez@middlebury.edu. We can answer any questions about the logistics of becoming a mentor, such as funding for transportation or what the process of becoming a mentor looks like.

Willowell Foundation Artist Residency: volunteer mural assistant opportunity
The Willowell Foundation is hosting muralist and sculptor Marela Zacarías for a residency in September. Marela Zacarias lives in Brooklyn and grew up in Mexico City. She has created more than 30 large murals in the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala, often working with local communities and at-risk youth to envision, design and paint. During her residency, Marela will work with Walden students to paint a mural just beyond the entrance to the outdoor classroom. For the first time, she’ll be combining her sculptural paintings, which recall textiles, with muralism to create a dynamic, 3-dimensional “wall in the woods.” The Willowell Foundation is seeking two volunteer assistants to help with the mural project and related field trips and programming. Volunteer swill preferably have experience with painting and/or sculpture. Interested? Contact Administrative Director Hannah Mueller, hannah@willowell.org, 973-306-9238.

Adopt a farm/Adopt a Market!
Adopt a Farm / Adopt a Market! HOPE needs drivers willing to transport donations of fresh produce from local farms and farmer’s markets to the HOPE food shelf this fall. Please e-mail GleanAddison@gmail.com or call the office at 802-388-3608 to volunteer.

Volunteer as a medical interpreter – applications due 9/24
The Open Door Clinic is seeking Volunteer Medical Interpreters for 2012-2013. Click here for more information and a volunteer application.

Need money for service? Apply to the Service Cluster Board Flex Fund to finance your initiatives
Whether it is transportation expenses or ingredients to cook meals at the community lunch program, we want to help you serve others. Click on “Service Cluster Board Flex Fund” here to find our application. Email scboard@middlebury.edu for more information

Questions? If you have questions about any of these volunteer opportunities or want to learn more ways to get involved in the local community, contact Ashley Calkins, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu, 802.443.3099

The Open Door Clinic is seeking Volunteer Medical Interpreters for 2012-2013. Read below for more information and a volunteer application. Open Door will also have a representative at the MiddAction Fair (Sept.19 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., McCullough Social Space) who can answer questions about this opportunity.

Dear Potential Volunteer:

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Open Door Clinic.

As a free medical clinic serving uninsured and underinsured low income individuals in Addison County, we provide essential medical care to individuals of many backgrounds. Approximately 30% of our patients are Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients requiring assistance of medical interpreters to facilitate communication and thus insure high quality medical care. Although we have access to telephonic interpretation, we rely most heavily on volunteer medical interpreters available for in-person interpretation at clinics and referral appointments.

Please review the attachments below information before submitting a medical interpreter volunteer application.

VOLUNTEER MEDICAL INTERPRETER APPLICATION
Volunteer Medical Interpreter Position Description
Interpreter External Language Evaluation Form
Interpreter Application cover letter and instructions

Because of the responsibility that interpreters have for insuring accurate understanding of medical conditions, procedures, and treatments, we require a relatively stringent screening process for potential volunteer interpreters. We are glad to train new interpreters in interpretation techniques and practices, but we require fluency in English and the target language before we can accept these new interpreter volunteers for training.

Please return the following application materials to Open Door Clinic by September 24, 2012:
• Medical Interpreter Volunteer Application
• Language Skills Self Assessment Form
• Names and contact information for two personal/professional references, ideally individuals who can comment on your experience in cross-cultural and/or other settings applicable to volunteer work as a medical interpreter
• Please have two individuals familiar with your non-native language skills submit language evaluation forms directly to Open Door Clinic using the enclosed postage prepaid envelopes. If you have formally studied this language within the past five years, at least one of these language evaluations should be from a language instructor.

After receipt of your application materials, an Open Door Clinic staff member will contact interpreter candidates to schedule a 20-30 minute phone interview conducted in English and/or your target language. New medical interpreter volunteers are required to successfully participate in one 2-hour ODC new volunteer training and, in the case that interpreters have not been trained in medical interpretation techniques elsewhere, 4 hours of Open Door Clinic-led interpreter training before being scheduled for interpretation sessions.

ODC volunteers must participate in one of the following Volunteer Training sessions:
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 9-11 AM, Middlebury College Hillcrest 103
or Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 6:30-8:30 PM, Middlebury College Bicentennial Hall 219

The additional Basic Medical Interpretation Training can be completed through one of the following options:
Saturday, September 29, 2012, 12-4 PM, Middlebury College Hillcrest 103
Or Wednesday, October 10,, 2012, 6:30-8:30 PM, Middlebury College Bicentennial Hall 219 and Thursday, October 11, 2012, 6:30-8:30 PM, Middlebury College Hillcrest 103

If you are unable to attend these interpreter training sessions or commit to one year of volunteer interpreter service with Open Door Clinic or are interested in using language skills in a capacity other than medical interpretation, please contact Kay Freedy, Open Door Clinic’s Outreach Coordinator, to discuss other volunteer opportunities with Open Door Clinic. Also, please do not hesitate to contact Kay with questions about Open Door Clinic, medical interpretation and/or medical interpreter application, screening, and training.

Thank you again for your support of our community and assistance in ensuring quality healthcare for all.

Sincerely,

Kay A. Freedy
Outreach Coordinator
outreach.opendoorclinic@gmail.com

Looking for new opportunities, or want to make a difference? Have a passion and want to discover ways to continue exploring it? Come to the Fall MiddAction Fair  to get some information on ways to do this and more!

The 2011 Fall MiddAction Fair was highly successful and well attended.

At the fair, you’ll get a chance to meet representatives from over 50 non-profit organizations and student service groups to learn how you can get involved with our local community and our wider world. The MiddAction Fair will provide you with the opportunity to engage directly in local activism, volunteering, social justice, and service-learning activities in areas such as education, literacy, youth mentoring, environment, emergency services, public health, poverty, hunger, housing, and much more.

Please stop on by. Information on the fair provided below!

When? September 19, 2012, 6 – 7:30 PM

Where? McCoullough Social Space

Questions? Contact Ashley Calkins ’06, Community Engagement Coordinator, jcalkins@middlebury.edu, 802.443.3099.

While many students are enjoying the last week or two of summer, the Middlebury Residential Life staffers have returned to campus to begin training and preparing for first-year orientation activities. EIA Civic Engagement hosted all 55 First-Year Counselors and Resident Assistants in Coltrane Lounge on Wednesday for a Fireside Chat about service, community and connecting students with service opportunities on campus and in the broader Middlebury and Addison County community.

FYCs and RAs spent half of their evening in discussions, delving into their connections with home communities, experiences with service and civic engagement, and their thoughts on student involvement in service on campus. The FYCs and RAs discussed the value of engaging with the local community and how service strengthens connections between community members and between students. Students also discussed what constitutes meaningful, effective and sustainable service, and how to get first years and other students involved from the beginning of their time at Middlebury.

Students intently place batter onto cookie sheets. Making cookies is serious work.

For the rest of the evening, ResLife staff made no-bake cookies and processed zucchini and tomatoes for the Middlebury Community Care Coalition (MCCC). The cookies will be served at the MCCC Community Supper on Friday. The zucchini and tomatoes came from Nash Farm, which tends three plots of vegetables for MCCC. Students chatted away while slicing zucchini and dicing tomatoes, which went into freezer bags to be used in soups and sauces this fall and winter. In under an hour students processed two heaping bushel baskets of zucchini and just under two bushels of tomatoes. CRA Nadia Schreiber pointed out to the group that if 55 of them spent an hour making cookies for one dinner and processing four bushels of produce, the time and energy that go into MCCC luncheons and dinners is really extraordinary.

Washing tomatoes is clearly serious work, too.

It was exciting to see the teamwork and resourcefulness students demonstrated in balancing all of the cookie sheets in an over-full refrigerator. One FYC ran back to his room to grab a tomato corer, which sped the process up. Some students washed veggies, while others ferried out clean zucchini and tomatoes to the students with knives and cutting boards.

As we move into September, Nash Farm will continue to be inundated with surplus produce – and they would love for volunteer help in processing those veggies for use this fall and winter at MCC luncheons and dinners. Students interested in spending an hour or two slicing squash, or an afternoon making tomato paste should contact Ashley Calkins (jcalkins@middlebury.edu). EIA can coordinate transporting veggies to campus and students can process them in any dorm kitchen!

A number of ResLife staffers had never made no-bake cookies before – and requested the recipe!

No Bake Cookies

Makes ~48 small cookies

• 4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1cup milk
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 5-6 cups quick oats **up to 6 cups, use less if the batter seems dry**

1. Mix together sugar, margarine, milk, cocoa, and vanilla.
2. Heat in microwave 2 minutes. Stir.
3. Heat in microwave 2 more minutes.
4. Stir in peanut butter until well blended.
5. Add oats. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet covered in wax paper.
6. Place into the refrigerator. Cookies can be placed into bags once they firm up.

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

This Week’s Features:

Volunteer at the Charter House!

The Charter House is a winter housing facility that serves as an emergency home for up to five families from November through April. It is staffed 24/7 by trained volunteers who provide a warm, welcoming environment for families in stress.  MCCC works closely with HOPE,  the Parent Child Center, Mary Johnson Children’s Center, Women Safe and Counseling Services of Addison County to assist residents in finding appropriate jobs, housing, counseling, educational opportunities and childcare.

With the end of the Charter House season now behind us, if you have some spare time, are in town, and might be willing to do a different type of volunteering over the summer, the MCCC Farm-to-Table program that supplies fresh produce for the Community Lunches, Community Suppers, food shelves, and food insecure families is in need of volunteers to help with the maintenance and harvesting of produce!  The garden is expected to produce several thousand pounds of vegetables. It is located in New Haven, and work hours are of your choosing. Help is needed from now until late September.

Coordinator Courtney Devoid will work with you to schedule work time and show you the ropes. Contact her at cdevoid@middlebury.edu for more information.

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Got an hour? Be a friend!

Join an over 50 year tradition of Midd students sustaining a special relationship with  Butch Varno! Watch this brief and very inspirational video clip of “Picking Up Butch” for a great overview.

During the academic year, Butch keeps busy going to football and basketball games.  During the summer, things get much slower with fewer students around. Do you have an hour to spare once in a while? It could be after work, on a weekend, during the day—whenever works for you!

Butch loves to go for walks, come on campus, talk politics, current events, sports, College, and more. He has lots of interests and loves socializing, despite limitations due to cerebral palsy and confinement to a wheel chair.

Volunteers can serve as a friendly visitor or even help keep Butch limber by practicing his physical therapy with him. It makes a huge difference to his health and wellbeing—physical and mental—when Butch engages in regular exercise and social interactions.

Tiffany Sargent, EIA Civic Engagement (Adirondack House, x5082, tiffanys@middlebury.edu), is happy to introduce you to Butch.  Help make a real difference—thanks!

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June 28^th: Sheldon Museum’s Pops Concert!                         

The Henry Sheldon Museum in downtown Middlebury is looking for volunteers for the evening of June 28th to work as ushers, ticket takers, parking attendants, and perimeter walkers.

Who:                     Georgia Brass Band, benefit the Henry Sheldon Museum
When:                   June 28, 2012   (2 shifts:  5:15-7:00  and  6:45-8:15)
Where:                 College field adjacent to the Mahaney Center for the Arts  (rain site Kenyon)

 Dinner will be provided for the volunteers.  Following your shift you can relax and enjoy the concert and fireworks!

Those who are interested should contact Joyce Heath directly at jheath47@gmail.com.

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The Willowell Foundation’s mission is “To cultivate healthy communities by connecting people with the arts, education, agriculture, the environment, and each other.”  Volunteers for Peace, a Burlington-based nonprofit, has promoted international voluntary service since 1982.

 This summer, from August 11th to 25th, seven volunteers from Taiwan, Turkey, Korea, Japan, and Spain will spend two weeks at the Willowell Foundation in Monkton, serving the community by improving the trail system. 

 You can help welcome the volunteers to Vermont!

– Volunteer on the trail building project for a day and get to know the group.
– Bring the volunteers lunch at the worksite.
– Donate fresh produce from your garden.
– Join us at the Welcome Dinner
                         Sunday, August 12, 5:00 PM
                         Location TBA

 For more information and to get involved, please contact: Hannah Mueller, Willowell AmeriCorps member: Hannah@willowell.org.