CCEL Serves is designed to offer CWRU students a variety of structured opportunities to get involved in community service. Students can opt to serve one time or once in a while through Flex Serves experiences, or on a weekly basis throughout a semester with Semester Serves experiences. There will also be Pop-Up volunteer opportunities throughout the semester - one-time needs for volunteers from our partner organizations.
If you have any questions or would like to meet with a CCEL advisor to discuss your options for CCEL Serves experiences, contact Assistant Director Samantha Cocco at sxc1207@case.edu.
Semester Serves
CCEL Semester Serves offers students the opportunity to serve at local nonprofit organizations or schools on a regular basis, typically weekly (8-12 times per semester), with the same small group of students each week. These opportunities require at least one semester of weekly commitment. Many sites work directly with vulnerable populations, so building relationships and trust is critical. Semester Serves includes opportunities like tutoring and mentoring youth, tutoring adults on their GED journey, and visiting with seniors. Each site has a CCEL-trained student leader who coordinates the group and provides transportation to and from the site.
Students interested in joining one of the available sites must register each semester on CampusGroups. Registration will open during the first week of classes each semester. If your preferred site is full, you can join the waitlist for the event or contact CCEL with questions. Spots are limited and filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For an up-to-date listing of Semester Serves opportunities, visit CampusGroups
|
Day & Time (includes travel time!) |
Site |
Volunteer Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Monday afternoons | Tutoring @ CHUH Library | Provide academic assistance in literacy, STEM, or related skill-building activities and games in a library setting to youth in grades K-8. |
| Tuesday afternoons | AdvantageCLE Wellness & Education | Guide 5-8th grade youth at a local elementary school in after-school activities including wellness, literacy, creative writing, and STEM. |
| Tuesday and Thursday evenings | Seeds of Literacy Adult GED Tutoring | Assist adults with academic material as they work to complete their GED. |
| Wednesday afternoons | McGregor Home Senior Living Community | Work with McGregor Home residents with dementia and help them engage in various activities. |
| Thursday early afternoons | Lunch Buddies @ Bolton Elementary | Mentor and spend lunch and recess with 3rd through 5th grade youth at Bolton Elementary School located in the Fairfax Neighborhood. |
| Friday afternoons | Homework Help @ Harper School | Assist 1st-6th grade students at a Cleveland school with homework and academic learning on a tech-based platform during the school's activities period. |
| Saturday mornings | Minds Matter ACT Prep Tutoring | Tutor and prepare high school students to take the ACT test to attend college. |
Flex Serves
Through Flex Serves, students can engage with other CWRU students to contribute to a project that benefits a community organization. Topics and projects change throughout the semester and students can sign-up as their schedule allows.
Flex Serves and Pop-Up opportunities throughout the semester are listed on CampusGroups. Registration for each event opens two weeks prior to the date of service. Students are welcome to join the waitlist if their date of interest is full. Students not registered can also come directly to the CCEL office (Tinkham Veale University Center, Suite 165, first floor) at the program's start time on the day of the event to see if a space becomes available.
| Day & Time (includes travel time!) | Site | Volunteer Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Monday and Friday afternoons | CWRU Community Pantry | Unbox and sort thousands of pounds of food, provide staff with proper expiration dates and inventory numbers for tracking, and then shelve items. |
| Thursday evenings | Church of the Covenant Hot Meal | Volunteers will greet and direct community members, prepare and serve food, join guests for the meal and engage in conversation, and help with light clean up. |
| Wednesday and Thursday evenings | Cleveland Food Bank Packing + Sorting | Help sort, prepare, box and repack food to be distributed to local food pantries, hunger centers, and shelters to serve families and singles in need. |
| Friday afternoons | MedWish International | MedWish collects and delivers medical supplies to those providing medical care in developing countries. Volunteers will help sort materials for future shipments. |
| Saturday mornings | Ozanam Center Food + Clothing Distribution | The Father Michael Wittman Ozanam Center provides access to food and clothing to those in need. Volunteers will check in & out clients, offer hospitality, sort and hang clothing, pack grocery bags, and more. |
| Sunday late mornings | A Place at the Table Community Meal | A Place at the Table provides a hot, nutritious lunch each Sunday and is the only lunch program that serves those in need on Sunday afternoons downtown. Volunteers will assist in serving lunch to guests. |
Accessibility
CCEL is committed to providing all students with opportunities to take full advantage of our programs. Our staff recognizes that students with documented disabilities may require reasonable accommodations in order to achieve this objective. If you are interested in taking part in a specific project but have questions related to accommodations and/or the accessibility of a site, please contact the office of Disability Resources (216.368.5230 or disability@case.edu), and they will work with a representative from our office to answer your questions.