The Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism

Programs

• Black Bear Mentors
• Civic Passage Programs

• Red Cross Blood Drives
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• UMaine Cares
• Maine Day
• Holiday Sharing
• Conversation/Culture Partner Program

TO VIEW AND SIGN UP FOR CURRENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT WWW.SIGNUPSCHEDULE.COM/BODWELLCENTER

Red Cross Blood Drive – NEXT SCHEDULED BLOOD DRIVE – April 15 & 16, 11:00 – 5:00, AT THE CAMPUS REC CENTER

Twice a semester, the Bodwell Center, sponsored by the American Red Cross and Division of Student Affairs, hosts a blood drive in the Student Recreation Center. Typically they’re hosted during the month of September, November, February, and March/April. We’re looking for volunteers to help with registration, walk donors and hand out snacks. For specific dates you can either check the website, contact Meagan McCready, or watch for flyers around The University of Maine campus.

Each January the Bodwell Center joins the University, along with community partners, in creating memorial activities/events in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.

The University of Maine Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism, the Office of Multicultural Programs, and UMaine Athletics will host the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day event January 21st from 12:00 p.m-3:30 p.m. at the Old Town/Orono YMCA.  Students in grades 3-5 and their parents are invited to attend this free event. The children will participate in a variety of activities about diversity and the life and ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. UMaine Athletes, students and community members will lead children through activities, which have included craft projects, henna tattoos, deaf culture awareness/learning sign language, presentation by UMaine Veteran Student about the cultures they have visited while in the military, interactive Native American storytelling led by UMaine professor John Bear Mitchell, group discussions lead by UMaine students, and team building activities. All children involved will receive a free T-shirt.

Volunteers are always needed from 11:00 to 4:00 on the day of the event.  If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Bodwell Center at 581-1796.

For more information, contact Meagan McCready at the Bodwell Center by phone at 581-3091 or email at Meagan.mccready@umit.maine.edu.

UMaine Cares

The Bodwell Center celebrates National Make A Difference Day every October by signing up groups to volunteer their time and services to various organizations in the community. This past fall the number of volunteers doubled as well as community partners sponsoring the event. Projects included hosting a food drive, donating all items received to Crossroads Ministries of Old Town, cleaning up litter and trash along the Kenduskeag Stream Trail, and deconstructing old buildings near the stream at the Leonard Mills Logging Museum.  To sign up for UMaine Cares or for more information, contact Meagan McCready.

Holiday Sharing

The Holiday Sharing Program began in 2004 as a partnership between the Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism and Crossroads Ministries. Each year, Crossroads contacts families in need about the program while the Bodwell Center works to encourage campus organizations, community organizations, and local businesses to collect gifts and spread awareness of the program. Both Crossroads Ministries and the Bodwell Center work together to provide local children with a quality holiday season.

Last year, the program helped over 300 children in the greater Orono / Old Town area. Due to the economic climate, even more families were in need this year. We helped over 140 families with over 340 children this holiday season, collecting even more gifts than last year. In addition, new partnerships were created both on and off campus that will increase the impact of the program in years to come.

This program is once a year, starting in late November and lasting through the holiday season. If you would like to be a part of this wonderful program please contact Meagan McCready.

Conversation/Culture Partner Program

Would you like to help another student improve their English?  Are you looking to add practice, volunteer experience that showcases your communication, English, and/or counseling skills as well as your understanding of global issues?  Then this program is for you!

• Learn about different cultures;
• Help another student improve their conversation English; and
• Assist another student in navigating American culture/customs.

For more information about this program, download this Program Description/Contract.

Each volunteer will receive training prior to starting the program.  Students will be matched based on their interests.  Pairs will meet for one hour per week at a time and location that works for them.

Volunteers have already been trained for this semester, but we may have a need for more if additional students approach us for a partner. If you are interested in volunteering for this program later this semester or next semester, contact the Bodwell Center for an application.

*This program is a collaboration between Literacy Volunteers of Bangor, the Bodwell Center, the Intensive English Institute, and the Office of International Programs.

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