National Weekend of Service and Remembrance

As you are aware, the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) at Rollins College fosters, encourages, and promotes engagement within Central Florida.

For the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, Rollins is participating in the National Weekend of Service and Remembrance, which is being organized and lead by MyGoodDeed Inc., in partnership with HandsOn Network, the nation’s leading volunteer service organization. In conjunction with the mission for the national movement, the OCE and Rollins hopes to inspire people to pay tribute on the anniversary of 9/11 by voluntarily pledging to perform good deeds, support charitable causes, volunteer and engage in other acts of compassion – honoring the 9/11 victims and survivors, as well as all those that rose in service in response to the attacks, including first responders, recovery workers, volunteers, public safety personnel, and members of the military, and all of their families.

At this time, OCE would like to announce two service opportunities for the Rollins community to be involved in on Saturday, September 10th. Transportation will be provided for both projects. Please note that space is limited for both projects, so anyone interested in participating must confirm attendance. RSVP Required.

1)Flag Project with Fern Creek Elementary School: Fern Creek, a Title I school, serves roughly 350-400 students of whom 83% are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program, 50% live in the Paramore area, and 23% are homeless. FC has significantly less parental involvement creating a much greater need for support from the community. On Saturday, 9/10 volunteers will honor the tradition and history of the Rollins/Fern Creek partnership by assisting the school with several projects. Activities will include setting and laying the brick foundation for the centralized school’s flag pole and minor beautification projects in its vicinity.

Timeline of Events for Fern Creek School:
8:00 a.m.-Meet at Cornell Fine Arts Museum
8:15 a.m.-Depart Rollins
8:45 a.m.-- Arrive at Fern Creek
8:45-9:15 a.m.-Quick tour and overview
9:15-12:00 p.m.- Flag Project
12:30- 1 p.m.-Travel back to Rollins

2)Bowling with the Paragon School: The Paragon School opened in August 2007 to meet the growing demand in Central Florida for specialized education programs to serve students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome. The school provides a program of academic instruction centered on social skills development, brain-based learning methods, and Christian values education. On Saturday, 9/10 volunteers will share in a new school tradition. Activities will include a brief welcome, history and tour of the school. Volunteers will then take part in an early afternoon of bowling with students from the Paragon School.

Timeline of Events for Paragon School:
9:15 a.m.-Meet at Cornell Fine Arts Museum
9:30 a.m.-Depart Rollins
10:00 a.m.-- Arrive at Paragon School
10:00-10:30 a.m.-Quick tour and overview
10:30-11 a.m.-Travel to bowling alley
11:00-1:00 p.m.-Bowling and Lunch
1:00-1:30 p.m.-Travel back to Rollins