CCEL Serves is designed to offer CWRU students a variety of structured opportunities to get involved in community service including one-time and semester-long experiences.
Flexible Pop-Up Experiences
Through Flexible Pop-Ups, 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 during the semester are listed on CCEL's CampusGroups events. 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.
Below is our Fall 2023 Flexible and Pop-Up Schedule. Registration opens two weeks before the date of the event.
| Day | Time | Site | Volunteer Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thurs | 2:45 - 4:45 p.m. | Goods Bank | Goods Bank NEO help nonprofits, schools and faith-based organizations provide new goods to the people they serve or use them to support their operations, all for a nominal handling fee. Volunteers will help sort and stock shelves, build furniture pieces and help visitors shop. |
| Thurs | 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. | Cleveland Food Bank | 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. The following Thursdays: 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/05, 10/12, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/7. |
| Fri | 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. | MedWish | MedWish collects and delivers medical supplies to those providing medical care in developing countries. Volunteers will help sort materials for future shipments. The following Fridays: 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06, 10/13, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 12/1, & 12/08. |
| Sat | 8:15 - 12:45 p.m. | Hunger Network Midtown Market Pantry | Hunger Network is committed to improving the experience of visitors at their local pantry. Volunteers will help customers shop, check-out and pick up groceries utilizing new digital processes. The following Saturdays: 9/9, 10/7, & 12/2. |
| Sat | 8:45 - 12:15 p.m. | Nature Center at Shaker Lakes Autumn Fest | The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes needs volunteers for their annual Autumn Fest: Fairy Tales in the Forest. Volunteers with help visitors decorate pumpiks, Pixie Dust Sidewalk Chalk & Games, Fire Breathing Dragon Campfires and Wand Making. 10/7 |
| Sat | 9:15 - 11:45 a.m. | The Kid's Book Bank | The mission of the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank is to foster literacy and a love of reading by providing free books to children in need. Volunteers are needed to sort and pack the books by reading level. The following Saturdays: 9/30 & 10/14. |
| Sun | 10:50 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | A Place at the Table |
A Place at the Table (APATT) provides a hot, nutritious lunch each Sunday at noon for those in need. APATT is the only lunch program that serves those in need on Sunday afternoons in the downtown area. Volunteers will assist in serving lunch to guests. The following Sundays: 9/24, 10/22, & 11/12. |
Semester Experiences
CCEL Semester Serves are small groups of students volunteering at a local nonprofit organization weekly. Semester sites require at least one semester of commitment. Many sites work directly with vulnerable populations, so building relationships and trust is critical. Some CCEL Semester Sites include tutoring and mentoring youth, tutoring adults on their GED journey, and visiting with seniors. Each site has a 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. If your preferred site is full, you can join the waitlist for the event or contact Danielle Hickman (dxh559@case.edu) with questions. Spots are limited and filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Fall 2023 Semester Opportunities are posted!
CCEL Semester Serve Fall 2023 experiences are posted on Campus Groups. Registration will open during the first week of classes for the Fall 2023 semester. Follow the Campus Group Link for project descriptions, meeting dates, and additional details.
**Additional logistical information is needed if the project is below but not on Campus Groups. Check back closer to the beginning of the semester for the Campus Groups link. **
|
Day |
Time |
Site |
Volunteer Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mon |
3:15 – 5:15 p.m. |
Provide after school homework help or guide youth (grades K-8) in literacy, STEM, or related skill-building activities and games in a library setting. |
|
| Tue | 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. | Seeds of Literacy | Assist adults with academic material as they work to complete their GED. |
| Wed | 2:45 – 5:15 p.m. | AdvantageCLE | Guide youth (grades 1-4) at a local elementary school in after-school activities including wellness, literacy, creative writing, and STEM. |
|
Wed |
3:40 - 5:15 p.m. |
OMA is an art program that enables people living with dementia to assume new roles as artists and teachers. Volunteers are paired with an participant and assist them in creating art-work weekly. |
|
|
Fri |
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. |
Assist students at a Cleveland International Baccalaureate elementary school (grades 1st-6th) with homework and academic learning on a tech-based platform during the school’s activities period. |
|
| Sat | 10:00 - 12:45 p.m. | Minds Matter ACT Prep Tutoring | Minds Matter connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college. Volunteers are needed to provide ACT Tutoring on Saturday mornings. |
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.