The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
MXCC taking part in Make a Difference Week
Students, faculty volunteering to help needy and children, clean up environment
MIDDLETOWN » Middlesex Community College is rallying to make an extra effort to volunteer time and talent during Connecticut’s statewide Public Higher Education Make a Difference Week through Saturday.
The college is reaching out to students, faculty, staff and supporters to take time out to collect food for the needy, help children with homework and clean the environment.
This campaign is part of a statewide program to celebrate and promote civic engagement while developing students’ citizenship skills, forging community partnerships and integrating service learning and volunteering at Connecticut’s public colleges and universities.
The week-long initiative includes more than 50 projects around the state, and culminates on Saturday, which is National Make a Difference Day.
MxCC volunteer opportunities include:
Food drives
MxCC’s students and faculty are sponsoring a food drive for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry in Middletown through Friday.
Bins for the non-perishable food items will be on campus in Snow Hall Room 508, Wheaton Hall and the Student Activities office.
Volunteers are needed to pack up food and deliver to the food pantry on Friday.
MxCC’s Meriden Center are also conducting a food drive and a school supplies drive.
Soup dinner
Volunteers are needed to help serve and clean up at the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Dinner on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at St. Francis Church in Middletown.
E-cycling
The MxCC Computer Club is bringing back Green Monster e-Cycling for another free collection of old or unwanted electronics for zero-waste recycling.
The all-day event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday.
After-school help
Volunteers are needed all week for the Green Street Arts Center’s Discovery After School Program on Green Street in Middletown to serve as snack time assistants, teaching assistants and homework helpers for students.
Invasive species clean-up
MxCC’s Student Environmental Association for Sustainability, in concert with the Middletown Conservation Commission, seeks volunteers to assist with clean-up of invasive species on open land in Middletown on Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m.
For more information or to participate in any of these events, visit mxcc. edu/ctmakeadiff or ctpublicsmakeadiff.org.
Follow MxCC’s volunteer activity on Twitter using #ctpublicsmakeadiff or follow posts to Instagram and Facebook at CTmakesadiff.org.