Friday, February 25, 2011

One semester down... One more to go.

Hello everyone! I'm excited to be back at Drury for another semester with CARE. I hope everyone's winter break was as awesome as mine :)

Last semester was a little rough for our CARE group. Getting things started with the calanders and coordinating volunteer shifts was difficult at first, but provided us with a chance to work out all the kinks before this semester. This semester, we hope to accomplish a lot with CARE, including mobile adoptions, a visit to the sanctuary in Aurora and our "Dollar Dog Dinner" in April.

Our greatest experience with our organization this semester was the success of our fundraiser. We made bracelets with phrases on them like "Puppy love" and "No kill" and sold them in the commons on tuesday and thursday last week. We had great success with getting many donations and a lot of interest in CARE. We gave away all of our bracelets and made around $91.15 in donations.

Our greatest challenge this month with CARE is getting regular shifts for our volunteer hours. CARE is currently overloaded with student volunteers and is having trouble placing everyone. We hope to be able to accomplish our hours through mobile adoptions and filling in for shifts when there are openings.

I'm looking forward to our "Dollar Dog Dinner" the most this semester. It will be a good opputunity for us to reach a large number of people, promote interest in CARE and have a good time before everyone gets stressed about finals. I also think it will generate a lot of donations for CARE, which they desperately need.

Summit has really taught me a lot about being a leader and working in a group. I'm not always the best with communication, and having to make sure everyone knows what is going on with CARE pushes me to work on this. I plan to be more active in reaching CARE and finding out what they want this semester, and helping my team to fulfill their needs.

-Anna

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Back into the Swing of Things

Hello All,
This semester I hope to see my groups project really bloom. last semester we did not have a great understanding of what it is like to work with a non-profit organization. Since, it has already been a semester we have a better idea of how to organize events and then follow through with the plans that we have created upon arriving in the fall. We have an event lined up for all the coming months. The activities are more hands on for us, rather than just selling calendars. This month we are making bracelets to give when we receive donations to go to C.A.R.E. They are Valentines Day themed and it is a fun way for us to help create some extra income for the organization.

This semester so far only Anna has volunteered at the shelter. Because of the snow and some miscommunication at the shelter has prevented Josie and I from completing any volunteering hours. However, I have spent a lot of time making bracelet's for our supporters to receive. It has started to bring the summit group together. The greatest challenge this semester has been finding time with the shelter that works for both of us to volunteer. I am over-loading this semester and I am the new Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion on Drury Universities, Student Government Association. I am in the process of opening up dialog with the non-profit and we will figure out a good time to come and volunteer.

I am looking forward to, in class, experiencing the Technology Fast. My generation has never had to go with out some form of technology; whether it be, a car, a phone, or a computer. I think it will be quite an alarming experience, that will reveal to me how dependent and addicted I am to technology. I think the hardest part will not be checking my e-mail and my cell phone. It will be a challenge; however, I believe it will be enriching and educational.

This past semester I have become a stronger leader. I now know that you have to let some one else do the work sometimes. I am a person who thinks if i do it it will be done better. I have learned working with my summit group that everyone has talents to bring to the table and to be an affective leader you have to listen and utilize the talents and thoughts of others. This semester I will be taking on a larger role, in my group, of advertising for the events that we have planed and for the organization. Josie and I recently went to Wal-mart and we were told to send a letter to the community organization's chair there and we possible could get money that would go directly to the organization. I will be writing the letter this weekend and I think that it is very hopeful that this summit group could be helping more animals to be adopted and saved from the kill shelters, than expected.

Thank you,
Sarah Nemeth