This year’s Welcome Week Service Day includes 3 options in order to provide maximum flexibility in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All Mount students, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to participate in this year’s Welcome Week Service Day on August 29, 2020 from 8 a.m.-noon.
The Welcome Week Service Day is the Mount’s annual campus-wide service day that invites the Mount community to begin the academic year by living out our core value of service to others. This year’s Welcome Week Service Day includes 3 options in order to provide maximum flexibility in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: in-person volunteering, virtual volunteering, and an item drive for Bethany House. For all three options, please RSVP for the Welcome Week Service Day online. RSVPs are required in order to participate.
Option 1: In-Person Volunteering
We have a variety of in-person volunteer opportunities available for those who prefer a traditional volunteer experience. Most of the opportunities are outdoors:
- EarthConnection:Volunteers will clean up the garden (outdoors). Participants will walk to this site.
- Western Wildlife Corridor:Volunteers will do some habitat restoration work (outdoors). Participants will walk to this site.
- Delhi Township Parks & Recreation(5125 Foley Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45238): Volunteers will do a woods line cleanup in Delhi Park (outdoors). Participants will need to provide their own transportation to this site.
- Imago(700 Enright Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45205): Volunteers will do some habitat restoration work (outdoors). Participants will need to provide their own transportation to this site.
- Working in Neighborhoods(3621 Roll Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45223): Volunteers will clean up the South Cumminsville Community Garden (outdoors). Participants will need to provide their own transportation to this site.
- Be Concerned(1100 W Pike St, Covington, KY 41011): Volunteers will work on staining their dock (outdoors) or sort items (indoors). Participants will need to provide their own transportation to this site.
- Habitat for Humanity(2117 Storrs St., Cincinnati, OH 45204): Volunteers will work on a house build in Lower Price Hill (indoors). Note that this build is scheduled from 8:30AM-4:00PM. Participants must also sign up on Habitat's website using the following link. Participants will need to provide their own transportation to this site.
Volunteers should wear MSJ-branded clothing that can be dirtied, and they should wear closed-toe shoes. Volunteers should also consider bringing their own hand sanitizer, work gloves, and sunblock if needed. All volunteers must follow MSJ COVID-19 safety guidelines, including, but not limited to:
- Successfully completing the MSJ COVID-19 Daily Health Check when they arrive on campus
- Wearing a facial covering over their mouth and nose at all times, and
- Maintaining social distancing of 6 feet or more
Volunteers should report to the 2nd floor of the MSJ Parking Garage at 8 a.m. to check in. When you check in, you will fill out a volunteer waiver. We are asking all participants to bring their own facemasks, but if you don’t have your facemask, you will be provided one when you check in. We will also have individually wrapped, shelf stable food and bottled water for those who need a light breakfast before volunteering. If you sign up for an off-site volunteer experience (Delhi Parks & Rec, Imago, Oyler School, Working in Neighborhoods, Be Concerned), you will need to be responsible for providing your own transportation. We will depart for the service sites at 8:30AM, and we will return back to campus at noon.
Option 2: Virtual Volunteering
We will offer two virtual volunteering opportunities for those who are not able to volunteer in person and for those who are not able to wear a facemask:
- Enhanced book readings for Cheviot School and Oyler School:Record yourself reading your favorite children’s book and then upload your video to YouTube. Ideally, this should be a book that can be read in under 15 minutes, one that is appropriate for preschool- 3rd grade, with rhyming and/ or rich vocabulary. At the end of the reading, have a 1 minute rhyming or vocabulary review. Suggested books to read can be found on MyMount.
- Talent share for Bayley:Do you play an instrument, sing, or enjoy performing spoken word poetry? If you do, consider recording yourself sharing your talent, and then upload your video to YouTube. We will share the videos with Bayley’s activities department, who will use them during programming with the adult day clients.
Instructions on how to record your video for the 2020 Welcome Week Service Day can be found on MyMount.
Option 3: Item Drive for Bethany House
We will also offer an item drive for Bethany House for those who are not able to volunteer in person or virtually and for those who are not able to wear a facemask. We are looking for new and packaged items (not used items). Please do not drop off your items at MSJ. All donations should be shipped directly to Bethany House at 1836 Fairmount Ave Cincinnati, OH 45214. All donations should be purchased and shipped out by August 28, 2020. If you prefer to purchase the items online, we have prepared a guide that will help you to identify products that are available to purchase through Amazon. This guide is available on MyMount.
Bethany House will also accept cash donations in lieu of item donations. Cash donations can be made online, and checks can be made to Bethany House Inc. and mailed to 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45214.
Please consider donating according to the school in which you are affiliated:
- School of Arts & Humanities:pillows, twin & full size sheet set, twin & full size comforter, twin & full size mattress & pillow bed bug covers, twin & full size air mattress
- School of Business:Shower curtain/ liner/ rings, waste basket, toilet brush/ plunger, towels (hand, wash, body)
- School of Education:Pots/ pans, glassware/ mugs, mixing bowls (plastic), silverware, kitchen utensils, can opener
- School of Behavioral & Natural Sciences:13x9 cooking pan, cookie sheet, dish towels/ pot holders, trash can/ bags, Tupperware, dishes
- School of Health Sciences:laundry basket, broom/ dustpan, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, dish soap, pack of paper towels, mop/ bucket, pack of toilet paper
For any questions, please contact Keith Lanser, Associate Director of Service Learning and Civic Engagement at keith.lanser@msj.edu or 244-4634.