This Week in Service
Department of Community Service
Th e Week of May 25
Submit a quote or reflection to DCS!

We want to hear from you! Do you have a quote that you want to submit regarding your time with Waltham Group, being a part of a service club or working with the Department of Community Service? Submit it today and your quote might be featured on the DCS website! This is the best way for prospective students, community partners and alumni to learn more about our programs and hear about what is happening on campus! 
Summer Volunteer Opportunities & Resources

If you are interested in learning more about ways to get independently involved in your communities on your own this summer, we encourage you to check out the  Virtual and Online Resources  page on the Department of Community's website. Continue to log your service hours through the Commitment to Service Award (CTSA) program on Sage. Remember, service hours in your home community may be logged in this program. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Samantha de Melim at  commitmenttoservice@brandeis.edu .
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all the available opportunities and programs we are sharing!
In this email:

  1. Become a Virtual Volunteer with the Waltham Group this Summer!
  2. Volunteer with the Summer Special Projects team!
  3. Virtual Volunteering Opportunities with the Youth Engagement: Educational Support & Social & Emotional Wellbeing team
  4. Fundraising Committee is looking for Volunteers!
  5. Summer Service - Card Writing/Letter Initiative
  6. Join the Summer Advocacy Group
  7. JF&CS Memory Cafe
  8. Brunch with the DCS Bunch
  9. COVID-19 Student Action Fund
  10. Gap Year Opportunities with City Year
  11. Local Voices Network: Call for students to participate in short, VIRTUAL dialogues! 
  12. Volunteer Opportunity: Write letters and cards for the JF&CS Memory Café and Balancing Act
  13. Follow Waltham's Mayor Jeannette McCarthy's Covid-19 Updates
  14. Waltham Mutual Aid Network Volunteers Needed
Summer Waltham Group Volunteer Opportunities
Become a Virtual Volunteer with the Waltham Group this Summer!
Waltham Group coordinators are working hard to listen to the Waltham community and respond to COVID-19. We are collaborating with our community partners to share resources and assist with certain priorities in Waltham, including youth engagement, fundraising, advocacy, independent projects, card/letter writing, and translation services. If you would like to volunteer virtually over the summer to support any of these initiatives,  please sign up below .

You can apply for one or more initiatives that align with your passions and interests. Email  wg.presidents@gmail.com  with questions!
Volunteer with the Summer Special Projects team!
The Special Projects team is working to address a variety of needs in the Waltham community during this time. We hope to learn of local community needs, both in response to COVID-19 or related resources or support. As a group of students we are hoping to support both administrative and direct programming needs, we welcome inquiries for support from community partners or ideas from the Brandeis community. Our projects will vary in time commitment, skill-set, and interest. Some examples include translation services, creating mailing lists and infographics for local organizations, organizing supply drives, collecting stories from the community about life during COVID, and many more.

If you are interested in volunteering or would like to be on a mailing list to hear about future projects, please fill out this brief form . Please send any questions, project proposals, or community needs to Claire West . We welcome any type of project so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Virtual Volunteering Opportunities with the Youth Engagement: Educational Support & Social & Emotional Wellbeing team
The Youth Engagement: Educational Support and Social and Emotional Wellbeing initiative seeks to connect with youth serving organizations in Waltham to support the academic and social and emotional needs of our local youth. Just like us, many children are feeling anxious and lonely during this uncertain time. We are hoping to create virtual academic programs for students in grades Preschool-12 in partnership with some of our Waltham community partners. We are also focused on keeping their mental health strong and providing them a space to feel grounded, so that they feel supported and can successfully adjust to this new normal.

If you are interested in supporting our efforts please apply here ! If you have any questions please contact Kim Ligon .
Fundraising Committee is looking for Volunteers!
The Fundraising Committee is working hard on fun initiatives/events that will bring together and fundraise for important causes impacting the Waltham and Brandeis communities during this difficult time. Leaders and volunteers will help coordinate both large and small fundraisers by sharing ideas, assisting with marketing, and reaching out to potential participants and donors. Volunteers can commit as much or little time as they would like.

If interested, apply here ! If you have questions please contact Jessica Daniel .
Summer Service - Card Writing/Letter Initiative
The card/letter writing initiative seeks to spread kindness and joy to those who need it most during this time, whether that be through cards, phone calls, art projects, or social media campaigns. We’ll be reaching out to essential workers, the elderly, members of the Brandeis community, and socially isolated individuals. Volunteers can devote as much time as works for them, ranging from “membership” to help us plan programming or volunteers who want to write a letter from time to time.

Sign up here if you want to hear about our initiatives as they come out over the summer. Reach out to nicoledagen@brandeis.edu or stro170@brandeis.edu with questions.
Join the Summer Advocacy Group
This pandemic has highlighted many systemic issues and gaps in services. The advocacy group strives to elevate the voices of Waltham residents and work alongside them to help ensure their needs are met. We want to support Waltham residents in making positive change in our local government and community.”

Please fill out this form if you are interested in volunteering with the Advocacy group this summer! Reach out to hborgida@brandeis.edu with any questions!
Brandeis Community Opportunities
JF&CS Memory Cafe
Join Brandeis University's Companions to Elders and JF&CS at the next virtual Memory Cafe on Friday, June 5th from 10:00am to 11:30am. Doug Schmolze will take us on a “Sentimental Journey” to revisit some of the great songs of the swing era. We’ll enjoy (and sing) works by Duke Ellington, Rogers and Hammerstein, Glenn Miller, Hoagy Carmichael and more.

This opportunity is open to all C2E volunteers. If you are interested in joining,  please fill this  form  by May 29th.  We will send the zoom link a few days before the cafe. 
Brunch with the DCS Bunch
The Department of Community Service (DCS) will be hosting our last BRUNCH WITH THE DCS BUNCH    Wednesday 12:00-1:00PM EST  via Zoom. We miss seeing you all around campus and are looking to create a casual space to be in community together over something that unites us all...food!

 There will be no set agenda, but an opportunity to share updates, ask questions and chat about life over breakfast, lunch or dinner based on your timezone.  Whether you are on campus, at home, or abroad, we also invite you to share your best food stories, such as food you grew up on, a favorite dish you like to make, or foods that bring you joy.  Pop in for 5 minutes or stay for a full meal. 

All are welcome, and no RSVP is required. You can join us on zoom through  this link .  If you have questions, please email the Director of Community Service, Lucas Malo at  lmalo@brandeis.edu .
COVID-19 Student Action Fund
The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) launched the  COVID-19 Student Action Fund  on April 18, 2020. This fund will identify and support select students at universities around the world who are committed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Working within the CGI U Commitment to Action model, this fund will provide at least $100,000 in total funding to students, with each grant awarded ranging from $2,000 to $5,000. This action fund is geared towards projects addressing the public health, economic, and societal impacts of the novel coronavirus — with commitments ranging from awareness and prevention campaigns, to social enterprises, to infectious disease monitoring and response systems, to other emergency response initiatives that are providing immediate support for public health practitioners and other essential workers on the frontlines. 

All applications must be submitted by 11:59PM ET on Wednesday, June 3, 2020. If you'd like to talk through an idea or are seeking advice on your application, contact our staff at  communityservice@brandeis.edu As you move forward in the process, please keep us in the loop so that we can offer support on your proposal. 
Community Partner Opportunities
*Please note that the Department of Community Service provides marketing and may not be in direct partnership with this organization. It is the responsibility of all members of this listserv to research all external community engagement initiatives and programs prior to involvement.
Gap Year Opportunities with City Year
During this uncertain time, City Year is a unique opportunity for young people to not only make a positive impact on students, schools and communities, but it is also an opportunity to invest in themselves and use service to develop skills they’ll need in future careers or educational opportunities. No matter what the start to the next school year brings, City Year AmeriCorps members will be there to support students whether it is in person or virtually.  Join more than 3,200 City Year AmeriCorps members (ages 18-25), choose to live in one of our 29 cities and spend 11 months working full-time in over 350 schools to give students the extra support they need to graduate, college and career ready.

The application deadline is on May 29. To apply, visit this City Year website !
Local Voices Network: Call for students to participate in short, VIRTUAL dialogues! 
Students have been especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lives have been upended, campuses uprooted a global health crisis that has sent many students home and left others isolated and far from family.  Local Voices Network (LVN) , in partnership with Campus Compact, wants to collect voices and stories of students who have been singularly affected by COVID-19 and amplify them through media and advocacy. In a cross-state call out, we are recruiting students who identify in the groups outlined below from colleges and universities across Southern New England (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) representing community college, state, public and private institutions. 

The dialogues are organized into different groups of students affected by COVID-19:  
  • Students in COVID-19 affected jobs: No one is just a student, and since we have been hearing from those working (or being laid off from) jobs highly impacted by the pandemic, we want to hear from you. Students working in – or laid off from – fields such as healthcare, food access, the restaurant/service industry, gig economy, or any other essential roles. Tuesday, May 26th from 4:30 – 5:45 pm - Register
  • Students dealing with housing or food insecurity: We want to hear from students for whom access to stable housing and regular meals is an ongoing concern. You might be on campus or doubled up with friends, relying on friends or family for meals or scraping by on your own. We want to hear from you and learn about which resources you have that have been helpful and which you need. Wednesday, May 27th from 7:30 – 8:15 pm ET - Register
Volunteer Opportunity: Write letters and cards for the JF&CS Memory Café and Balancing Act
Brandeis University students have volunteered at the JF&CS Memory Café since its launch in 2014. Students have also made Valentine’s cards for participants in our Balancing Act support group. During these times of physical distancing, letters and cards have reemerged as very important means of social connection; a way to send a little cheer to our participants, and help them to feel connected with the community around them. Cards made by little ones don’t need to follow all of these guidelines below! I would suggest: draw a friendly/happy picture, leave space inside for staff to write in the salutation, and then sign it with the child’s first name and their age.

Feeling creative? Here are the guidelines:
 
Please mail your letters or cards to Beth Soltzberg, Director of the Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support Program, JF&CS, at this address: Beth Soltzberg, 303 Gray Street, Arlington, MA 02476.
 
Please include a blank envelope for each card or letter, if possible. (An envelope is appreciated but not required).

What kind of card or letter, you may ask?
  • Please use only sizes that accept standard postage. Please avoid cards that require extra postage.
  • Pre-made cards are fine.
  • Handmade cards are fine.
  • Plain paper is fine.
  • Written and/or drawn is fine.

Content to include or avoid:
 
  • Some people who live with dementia are not aware of their diagnosis or are ashamed of it, so please do not mention dementia.
  • Some of our guests with dementia are not aware of the pandemic, so it is best to avoid this topic.
  • Share a happy thought about a topic that is timeless and common to us all, such as springtime, or the value of being kind to one another. People living with dementia may have trouble recalling specific information, but they often will really respond to sensory details that you can describe: color, scents, sounds, etc. One idea is to look up quotes on topics such as these, write your quote on the card, and then include a brief personal message.
Follow Waltham's Mayor Jeannette McCarthy's Covid-19 Updates
Keep up with the latest COVID-19 facts with the Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy. You can find previous videos as well as check back for any new videos each week.
Waltham Mutual Aid Network Volunteers Needed
The Waltham Mutual Aid Network is seeking volunteers who help support the Waltham community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a particularly high need for volunteers who can help people navigate applying for social services and volunteers who speak multiple languages (particularly Spanish).

To sign up, fill out this form .
Connect with us!
Department of Community Service
Shapiro Campus Center, Room 203
P: 781-736-3237

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