Helping Hand, Volume 1 Issue 4

The Helping Hand                                                                                          Volume 1 Issue 4

Dear ENGLGRADer’s, 

A Happy New Year to you all from your Community Outreach Coordinators! We hope that your break was both productive and restful, readying you for another semester together. In fact, let’s linger on that last word, “together,” for a moment. With the political horizon set to change for the immediate future, it will become increasingly important for us to imaginatively and compassionately create more opportunities for togetherness, so that we can build each other up in hope, community, and support, so that we can resist well together when needed. 

‘Community service’ means being of use to our neighbors, and to that end, here are a couple of upcoming events aimed at equipping us to be so. First, tonight, our department (via our new minor program, "Communication and Public Advocacy") will present “Trump Inaugurates Social Movements: A Discussion of Activism after the Election.” It takes place from 4:30-6 tonight in the Hoagie Carmichael room in Morrison Hall.  

Secondly, this weekend there are a great many events taking place throughout Bloomington that aim to educate and better equip us for activism. Check out a full schedule at: https://www.inauguratetherevolution.com/#home

As always, if you would like to know more about volunteering in Bloomington, check out the information available here (http://www.bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org/). You can also check out our archive on the English Department Blog for specific recommendations from your peers.

Lastly, we are currently looking for another group service activity to follow up last semester’s meal at the Shalom Center. If you have a service event on which you would like us to collaborate as a department, please contact either Stephen (schopkin@indiana.edu) or Phil (pchoong@indiana.edu).

As always, thank you for all the ways you give to your communities. We’re proud to serve alongside you and look forward to another semester together.

Best wishes, 

Stephen and Phil

Helping Hand, Volume 1 Issue 3

Now that the GSAC Book Sale is over, it’s time for another time-honored tradition: the book donation! Last year our department donated over a hundred books to Pages for Prisoners and the Bloomington Public Library, and we are looking to continue the tradition this year. To make this happen, we need help sorting through the piles of leftover books from the sale.

This Friday, starting at 3:00, we will be in Weatherly 123 sorting books for donation. If you have some time before the Thanksgiving break, please consider coming to help out for even an hour or two. People with cars are especially welcome, so the books can be transported after sorting. If you are able to come help, please email Stephen or Phil to let us know.

On a different note – in the wake of the election last week, there have been many calls for action, organization, and reinforcement of our communities. As Community Outreach Coordinators, we would like to reaffirm our commitment to using the resources available to us so that we can be present and active in our communities, and to calling attention to others’ efforts towards these same goals. If you know of any resources, organizations, events, etc. that could help, please let us know and we will share it along with your contact information in future newsletters and on the Canvas site.

For now, if you would like to know more about volunteering in the Bloomington community, check out the information available here.

You can also click here to sign a petition by the UndocuHoosier Alliance to show IUB administration that you support and urge protection for undocumented students and community members.

Thank you for your work and individual commitments to helping others. Take care of yourselves and those around you, and have a happy Thanksgiving break.

Best Wishes,

Stephen and Phil

Helping Hand, Volume 1 Issue 2

We’d like to begin this month’s edition of The Helping Hand by giving a shout-out to all the volunteers who came out for our breakfast at Shalom Center last week. We teamed up with the Center’s fantastic staff to serve eggs, (turkey) bacon, breakfast sandwiches, and more to over 100 members of our local homeless community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this event, whether through your financial donations or physical labor – it was greatly appreciated!

We will be planning more events for the spring semester, so look to future newsletters for further opportunities to volunteer as a departmental collective.

In order to keep The Helping Hand clutter-free, we will be compiling a list of service opportunities that you have sent us. Our plan is to archive this list on the English Graduate Student Resources Canvas page, under the “Community Service” folder. We will update the document each month and use this space to publicize new opportunities. We are also partnering with the IU English Graduate Student blog to make this information available in multiple venues. Check out the blog at http://iuenglishgrad.blogspot.com and look for regular updates both there and in your inbox!

This month’s new service opportunity comes from John McGlothin, who volunteers at Pantry 279 in Elletsville. The pantry is based in the Trinity Lutheran Church, and was first organized by local Girl Scouts. The pantry is expanding rapidly, and is looking for cash donations, food donations, and volunteers, particularly during the week. More information can be found at their website (http://pantry279.weebly.com/). You can also contact John for more information, at johnjmcglothlin@gmail.com.

And as always, you can find more ways to contribute to the Bloomington community at http://www.bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org.

If you have other opportunities or events that you would like publicized, please contact us and we will share the information in our next newsletter. In the meantime, keep being the wonderful, community-oriented selves that you are!

Best Wishes,

Stephen and Phil