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.
If you have any questions or would like to meet with a CCEL advisor to discuss your options for Flex or Semester Serves experiences, contact Assistant Director Samantha Cocco at sxc1207@case.edu.
Semester Serves
CCEL Semester Serves offers students the opportunity to serve at a local nonprofit organization on a more regular basis, typically weekly, 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 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 with questions. Spots are limited and filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
|
Day & Time (includes travel time!) |
Site |
Volunteer Activity |
|---|---|---|
|
Mondays 3:15 - 5:15 p.m. |
Provide academic assistance in literacy, STEM, or related skill-building activities and games in a library setting to youth in grades K-8. This is a weekly commitment from Sept. 16 - Dec. 2. |
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Tuesdays 3:10 - 5:20 pm |
AdvantageCLE Wellness & Education | Guide 5-8th grade youth at a local elementary school in after-school activities including wellness, literacy, creative writing, and STEM. This is a weekly commitment from Sept. 17 - Dec. 3. |
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Tuesdays 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. |
Seeds of Literacy Adult GED Tutoring |
Assist adults with academic material as they work to complete their GED. This is a weekly commitment from Sept. 17 - Dec. 3. |
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Wednesdays 2:40 - 4:15 p.m. |
McGregor Home Senior Living Community |
Work with McGregor Home residents with dementia and help them engage in various activities. This is a weekly commitment from Sept. 18 - Dec. 4. |
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Thursdays 12:30 - 1:45 p.m. |
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. This is a weekly commitment from Sept. 12 - Dec. 5. |
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Fridays 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. |
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. This is a weekly commitment from Sept. 20 - Dec. 6. |
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Saturdays 10:15 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
Minds Matter ACT Prep Tutoring |
Tutor and prepare high school students to take the ACT test to attend college. This is a weekly commitment from Sept. 14 - Nov. 23. |
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
Mondays 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. |
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. |
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Wednesdays 4:30 - 8:00 p.m. |
Cleveland Food Bank's Healthy Choice Market |
Help with loading vehicles with food, organizing and consolidating products, cleaning as needed, and assisting community members with shopping and food selection. |
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Thursdays 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. |
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. |
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Thursdays 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. |
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. |
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Fridays 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. |
MedWish International | MedWish collects and delivers medical supplies to those providing medical care in developing countries. Volunteers will help sort materials for future shipments. |
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Fridays 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. OR 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
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. |
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Saturdays 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
Ozanam Center Food + Clothing Distribution | The Father Michael Wittman Ozanam Center at St. Philomena Church in East Cleveland provides access to food and clothing to those in need. Volunteers will register and check in & out clients, offer hospitality, sort and hang clothing, pack grocery bags, and more. |
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Saturdays 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. |
Warehouse Sale Benefitting The Gathering Place | All proceeds generated from the Vintage Furnishings Warehouse sales help support The Gathering Place's free programs and services provided to individuals and families impacted by cancer. Our dedicated retail volunteers do a variety of tasks in our warehouse including preparing goods for sale, creating displays, sales, and moving furniture. |
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Sundays 10:50 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. |
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.