MEDIA ALERT
PHOTO/VIDEO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Allison Benner, College Relations Associate – Media, 610-740-3790
CEDAR CREST’S NEW STUDENTS LEND A HAND IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
Allentown, PA (August 22, 2006) – On Friday, August 25, the newest members of the Cedar Crest College community will uphold a College tradition by spending a part of their orientation week giving back to those in need in the greater Lehigh Valley. The incoming class of roughly 300 freshman and transfer students, the largest incoming class in the College's history, along with more than 60 student leaders, faculty and staff, will perform a day of service at several sites throughout the region in an effort to learn the importance of being actively engaged in their community.
Buses depart the campus at 8:30 a.m. and again at 12:30 p.m. to take students to a number of local facilities. Divided into groups of ten to fifteen people, the students will spend the day volunteering in a variety of ways including gardening, painting, assisting classroom teachers and visiting the elderly. The Sixth Street Shelter, Luther Crest and the Lehigh Valley Zoo are just a few of the many organizations at which students will volunteer.
“Community service is a key component of the mission at Cedar Crest College,” says Joan Laffey, dean of students. “It is an integral part of the Cedar Crest student experience.”
Community Service Day also highlights the College’s commitment to incorporating community service into programs of study. It is used as an outside-the-classroom learning experience for students and provides faculty with the opportunity to work with the students on a personal level as they accomplish a goal together. In total, Cedar Crest students performed more than 22,000 hours of community service for the 2005-2006 academic year.
A table of volunteer sites and services follows. Video and photo opportunities are available BY REQUEST. Please call ahead to schedule interviews as some volunteer sites have confidentiality restrictions. For more information, including times and locations, contact the College Relations Office at Cedar Crest College at 610-740-3790.
Agency Name |
Session |
Activity |
Allentown YWCA & YMCA |
Morning |
Work with children in relay races and games |
Cedarbrook Nursing Home, Lehigh |
Afternoon |
Help residents with games |
Child Advocacy Center of Lehigh County |
Morning & Afternoon |
Cleaning and sorting donated items |
Cityspace Child Care |
Morning |
Spend time with kids reading and doing crafts |
Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley |
Morning & Afternoon |
Help prepare a bulk mailing and pack goodie bags for mentors and students |
Community Bike Works |
Afternoon |
Painting and library organization |
Country Meadows - Allentown |
Morning & Afternoon |
Participate in Community Life Day, helping with activities |
Country Meadows – Bethlehem |
Morning & Afternoon |
Work with residents on various activities |
Crime Victims Council |
Afternoon |
Clerical/bulk mailing |
Good Shepherd Rehab Hospital |
Morning & Afternoon |
Assisting residents with therapeutic recreation activities |
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary |
Morning |
Remove Asian Stilt Grass which is threatening the eastern deciduous forest, trail work |
Kirkland Village |
Morning |
Garden work and painting benches |
Lehigh Valley Zoo |
Morning |
Yard work |
Liberty Nursing and Rehabilitation Center |
Afternoon |
Assist with activities/be friendly visitors |
Life Path |
Morning |
Performing tasks at a number of community living/residential programs |
Lower Saucon Township Historical Society |
Afternoon |
Archiving, set up school house museum |
Meals on Wheels of Northampton County |
Afternoon |
Garden work |
New Bethany Ministries |
Afternoon |
Assist in meal center |
Northeast Ministry |
Afternoon |
Entertain children with back to school party |
Phoebe Home |
Afternoon |
Assisting residents at a bingo party |
Pinebrook Services for Children and Youth |
Morning |
Help to organize and clean children's toys and games |
Roosevelt Elementary School |
Morning |
Helping decorate school |
Salvation Army of Bethlehem |
Morning & Afternoon |
Painting and organizing library |
Saucon Valley Conservancy |
Afternoon |
Working in Heller Homestead |
Sayre Child Center |
Morning & Afternoon |
Assisting classroom teachers and playing/interacting with the children |
Third Street Alliance for Women and Children |
Morning & Afternoon |
Working with adults with Alzheimer's doing crafts and baking; set up childcare classroom |
Touchstone Theater |
Morning & Afternoon |
Gardening, packing and painting |
Westminster Village |
Afternoon |
Assist senior citizens with activities |
Valley Youth House – Camp Horseshoe |
Morning |
Clearing and cleaning trails |
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