Hollis DuPont ’21
Kathleen Mark ’21
Mariah Islam ’21
As EA student interest in community service has continued to grow, many new projects have been implemented to give students a chance to serve different communities this winter. Some service opportunities this month include: UCHC, Adopt a Student, and ACLAMO. Ms. Brinks, the Director of Community Service has established the Community Service Corps, an expanded version of the board. Brinks said, “Like the Peace and Marine Corps, the name speaks more to a body of people who have a purpose in mind.” She also said, “The expansion has grown out of there being such an interest in service from people.” Students can join the Corps at any time, but must pledge to complete 20 hours of community service. Emma Bittenbender ‘20 said that the Corps’ main goal this year is “working to offer a wider range of activities and to better publicize events.”
One way to further increase student participation would be the implementation of a service requirement. However, the Community Service Corps decided against establishing one this summer. Jill McEntee ‘21, a member of the Corps, explained why, saying “I think it would ruin the purpose of service because the people should be doing service out of the goodness of their heart and not to just put a check in the box.” Bittenbender echoed this reasoning saying, “It doesn’t force people into it, so the Corps is only people who are really interested and passionate about service. It also allows people to understand why they are doing service and get more involved.”
Bittenbender continued by talking about the important lessons she’s learned from her experiences. “Community service isn’t always about doing what you think is best for the community. It’s about reaching out to that community you’re serving and figuring out what they actually need. A lot of the time it’s not what you think it is.” Brinks emphasized the importance of engaging with our neighboring communities saying, “I particularly like when people are exposed to a different then the community then they’re accustomed to and they’re meeting people that perhaps they have a preconceived notion about. I think there’s a great opportunity to to find out that that there is humanity and all of us.” During this winter, Brinks encourages EA students to step outside their community to serve others in order to form new connections and learn more about themselves.
EA’s Upcoming Service Opportunities in December and January
EA has countless opportunities for service that students can participate in.
- UCHC: Help serve and clean up dinner at a soup kitchen on the University of Pennsylvania campus! Every Thursday, leave EA at 5:00 and return around 7:45.
- Upcoming dates: 1/10; 1/17; 1/24 and 1/31
- ACLAMO After-School Tutoring: A tutoring program after school, this is a part of the wellness option; students can choose to attend the tutoring two or three times a week and the other days go to paddle tennis.
- Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (Spaces for students not enrolled in Wellness/Fitness when there are open seats in the van as the program is at capacity.)
- Adopt-a-Student: Adopt a student from ACLAMO to provide Christmas gifts for this holiday season! Most advisories participate in this annual December community service project, which allows the EA community to brighten the spirits of a less fortunate child.
- Hub of Hope: a place where people who are experiencing homelessness can stay until they find a permanent home. Sunday, January 13
- Schuylkill Environmental Center Restoration Workday: volunteers will remove invasive plants, plant native species, and help to improve our trails. Saturday, January 19
- Harlem Lacrosse Science Saturday: Tentatively Saturday, January 26 (This is a new project – a group of Middle School girls from the Harlem Lacrosse project in West Philadelphia will come to EA for a morning of Science workshops and lunch)