Alert
JUNE 21
COVID-19 Information
COVID-19 vaccines are available to all groups in PA. Let LVC know when you are fully vaccinated.
Dutchmen Still Serve
At a time when safety limits us in the ways we may serve in person with others, there are still plenty of opportunities for Dutchmen to make a difference. As you review the suggestions below, please remember the following:
- This list is certainly not all-inclusive. If you have ideas to add, please email them to Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu.
- In the spirit of caution and responsibility, be sure to take care in hand washing, mask wearing, social distancing, etc. when engaging in these activities. All of the suggested projects have been deemed safe by the related organizations.
- Email pictures of yourself serving in these (and any other) ways to Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu so that we may share your Dutchmen Serve spirit! You may also post your pictures directly to social media with #DutchmenServe.
- As always, LVC students should be sure to report service hours on MyLVC (using the "Report Service Hours" link found in the "My Info for Students" section).
Ways to Still Serve
Literacy & Learning Success Centers of Lancaster-Lebanon
Dedicate 3 hours each week as a virtual classroom assistant supporting adult learners enrolled in either an ESL (English as a Second Language) or HSE (High School Equivalency) program. Various times and days are available. Proficiency in a language other than English is not required. Email Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu for more information.
Lebanon High School English Language Development Tutor
Serve virtually for 30 minutes each week, anytime between 12:30-2:45 Mon-Fri, supporting students who are developing their English language communication skills. Proficiency in a language other than English is not required. Email Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu for more information.
Compeer Virtual Buddy
Compeer supports the recovery, wellness, and a sense of belonging for individuals living with mental challenges. Complete their virtual training program and then serve as a virtual buddy for one of their members. Volunteers spend just 15 minutes each week connecting with their Compeer friend. Email Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu for more details and to sign up.
SARCC Hotline Advocate
After completing SARCC’s virtual training, you will provide resources, information, and supportive listening to survivors of sexual assault violence via SARCC’s 24-Hour sexual assault hotline. Email Kaity Nordhoff at SARCC for more information, or connect with Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu.
SARCC Community Educator
After completing SARCC’s virtual training, you will facilitate programs with children, adults, and professionals to raise awareness of sexual violence and the steps we can all take to prevent it. Email Kaity Nordhoff at SARCC for more information, or connect with Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu.
Provide comfort to a child who has been abused – Fleece blanket making.
LVC makes and donates no-sew fleece blankets to the Lebanon office of the UPMC Pinnacle Children’s Resource Center (CRC). It is the mission of the CRC to reduce the trauma and aftermath of abuse for children and their families. After initial appointments, children are given the opportunity to choose a blanket to take home to provide them with ongoing comfort.
- Follow these instructions.
- Fleece may be ordered on-line through Amazon, etc. (at your cost).
- Bring blankets to Frederic K. Miller Chapel lobby when we return to campus.
Care for older adults—Calls, food delivery, yard work and more.
Loneliness is one of the greatest challenges faced by older adults, especially now. Consider offering care and support in the following ways:
- Connect with your older relatives, neighbors, etc.
- Make a phone call (or connect via Skype, FaceTime, etc.). It’s that simple. Do so regularly, and enjoy the chance to chat.
- Deliver food. Pick up groceries or even make a meal. Arrange a time to drop items off on the recipient’s porch.
- Help with yard work.
- Connect with older adults at care facilities and in senior communities.
- Make cards. Since access to care facilities and communities of older adults is currently limited, you will need to mail your cards. Contact organizations near you for guidance on doing so.
Donate food to a local pantry.
If you live locally, please visit The Caring Cupboard to find items needed and drop off times. If you do not live locally, please contact your local food pantry or United Way for suggestions.
Support literacy and learning—Get creative as you video stories and lessons.
Record yourself reading a book or teaching a simple lesson for children! We are sharing resources like these with local school districts. Email Jen at liedtka@lvc.edu for further direction before pursuing this opportunity.
Beautify your community—Trash clean-up and sidewalk inspiration.
Get outside and:
- Go for a walk…and pick up some trash along the way.
- Use sidewalk chalk to decorate your neighborhood walkways with positive messages and a little color.
Support women recently diagnosed with breast cancer—Note Writing.
Through the organization Girls Love Mail, write a note of encouragement and hope to a recently diagnosed woman. Follow these instructions.
Instead of mailing your notes directly to the organization, mail them to:
Jen Liedtka
Service and Volunteerism Coordinator
Lebanon Valley College
101 N College Ave.
Annville, PA 17003
Card Making—Encourage service agencies, law enforcement, emergency workers, and medical staff.
All of these people are working extra-hard during this time. Send notes of encouragement to them. If you know someone personally in these roles, give them a call or send them a text. If you are looking for the contact information for an organization with which you usually serve while at LVC, check out our Agency List.
Financially support your favorite non-profit organizations.
Many organizations that meet important needs in our communities have suffered financially as a result of COVID-19. Fundraising events are being canceled while needs are simultaneously increasing. Your financial donation matters more than ever for many of these groups. At a loss for where to give?
- Check out our Agency List of organizations with which LVC frequently serves.
Protect the Environment
Looking for ways to protect our environment? Connect with others who share a similar passion by taking part in a Greenpeace Action Call. Even during this time of social distancing, discover ways that you can make a difference through this global organization.
Preparing for a Life of Service to Others
At Lebanon Valley College, we are committed to service, sustainability, and civic engagement. We embrace intentionally the differences between human beings. These institutional values serve as foundational tenants for the Community Service and Volunteerism program at LVC. By providing a wide variety of hands-on service, unique experiential learning, and awareness-raising opportunities, the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism strives to prepare students for a life of informed and engaged citizenship both locally and around the globe. Each year, LVC students report more than 22,000 hours of service.
Local and Campus Opportunities
Each week, the Office of Service and Volunteerism coordinates a host of local and campus service initiatives, which are open to all LVC students. Through our weekly Dutchmen Serve emails, the online campus calendar, Redbook and our Facebook page students are made aware of these happenings which take place both on and off-campus, as well as other service-related speaker sessions and learning opportunities. Students sign-up to participate using Redbook or by emailing liedtka@lvc.edu.
Connect and Serve with Us!
At least two service trips are planned each academic year with most trips fulfilling one Immersive Experience requirement. Trips vary from year to year so that students may have the opportunity to engage in both domestic and international experiences that focus on different areas of service and learning.
Service-Focused Student Organizations
Students have the opportunity to join a variety of clubs, organizations, fraternities, and sororities that focus primarily on service. Some of these groups include: • Alpha Phi Omega • Cause for Paws • Colleges Against Cancer • Gamma Sigma Sigma • Habitat for Humanity • Lebanon Valley Educational Partnership (LVEP) • Red Cross Club • Servants of Christ • Students Helping Seniors • Team FTK Beyond this list, all of our athletic teams, along with many other organizations, participate in a wide variety of community service endeavors, as well.
This one-credit class was introduced in Spring 2019 and is taught by the Coordinator of Service and Volunteerism. By participating in a once-weekly class meeting, attending speaker sessions and engaging in a variety of service in the local community, students earn not only one credit but also fulfill one Immersive Experience requirement.
Individual Service Initiatives
Based on their interests and schedules, students may coordinate their own service efforts by accessing our list of local community agencies and opportunities. Whether they are passionate about serving with seniors or children, addressing issues of food and housing insecurity, preserving the environment, helping animals…you name it…there’s a way for everyone to make a difference. To learn more about these and other opportunities, stop by the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism on the main level of Miller Chapel and chat with our Coordinator, Jen Liedtka, while you enjoy a cup of coffee or tea.
I am passionate about serving because I understand that as long as I'm able to do so, I have a responsibility to serve those who need it.
AICUP Good Citizen Scholarship Recipient
Dayshalee Rosario Cruz '20
