United Way events scheduled

Grand Valley’s United Way Campaign for 2012 will run from October 8-19. In the meantime, several community outreach events have been planned.

Stuff the Bus
The annual Heart of West Michigan United Way Stuff the Bus project will take place September 11. Stuff the Bus is a community-wide collection of school supplies for Grand Rapids Public Schools. Students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to donate school supplies to literally stuff a big yellow school bus full of back-to-school items.

Suggested supplies for donation include lined paper, pencils, colored pencils, erasers, crayons, glue sticks, markers, blue and black pens, pocket folders, stickers and three-ring binders. Drop-off sites will be available August 27 and include the Kirkhof Center, Facilities Services, Zumberge Library, College of Engineering, DeVos Center Bookstore, Eberhard Center and the Bicycle Factory. Grand Valley volunteers then sort through the supplies before delivering them to area schools.

Day of Caring
Join more than1,600 other volunteers September 14 for the largest one-day volunteering event in Michigan, the United Way Day of Caring. This year Grand Valley participants will be able to choose from two service projects.

Catherine’s Health Center in Grand Rapids helps improve access for those in need of health care services. Grand Valley volunteers will have the opportunity to be involved in a one-time focus group to discuss health care for those who cannot afford quality health care. Alpha Women’s Center is a pregnancy care center that helps families facing unplanned pregnancy, poverty and homelessness. Volunteers will help sort items that have been donated to the center. 

Volunteers can sign up for two shifts, 9 a.m.-noon or 1:30–4 p.m. For more information contact Jeff Mutch in the Office of Student Life.

Schools of Hope
Faculty, staff and students are also encouraged to volunteer for Schools of Hope, a program aimed at helping improve literacy among area students. Schools of Hope is an in-school reading tutor program that pairs students with volunteers for 30 minutes, once a week. Tutoring sessions are held during the school day and volunteers may chose from any of the 18 participating school locations. With supervisor approval, no vacation or personal time will be lost to participate.

Each first-time tutor is required to attend a 90-minute training program. Training sessions will be held from noon-1:30 p.m. on October 2 in room 1142 of the Kirkhof Center, and on October 4 in room 303C in the DeVos Center.