Week of Caring ends as a success

Following a week filled with multiple community events, leaders and participants in Bloomington's Week of Caring met at noon on Friday to discuss the week's activities and give awards of appreciation to sponsors and participants.\n"This has been an incredible week for the community…and an emotional week for our country," Mayor John Fernandez said.\nHe said the tribute during the week was better than could have been expected.\nThis was the sixth year for Bloomington's Week of Caring, which was timed to coincide with the national Participate America week surrounding Sept. 11. The events were in celebration of democracy and in tribute to those who lost their lives a year ago.\nEvents were scheduled to appeal to those of all age groups and segments of the community. \nA moving photographic slide show featuring pictures from the community activities scrolled across the front walls of the city council chambers during the meeting.\nThe photos showed small children in fire trucks at a fire station open house, a woman preparing cookies at the community kitchen and a group of adults planting a remembrance garden. Other pictures highlighted events such as a Big Brother/Big Sister party, a police open house and a Kids Care kick-off event.\nMarsha Bradford, program coordinator of the Safe and Civil City Program in the Office of the Mayor, awarded small plaques as tokens of appreciation to those who sponsored and participated in the week's events. \nAlso there to accept an award were Darrell Ann Stone, who works in the IU student activities office, and senior Natalia Galvan, president of the Volunteer Students Bureau. \nStone thanked the community for hosting so many opportunities for students.\n"Despite this busy time at IU, many students found time to participate in this Week of Caring," she said.\nMultiple other recognitions were made.\nLucy Schaich of the Bloomington Volunteer Network explained how the focus of this week was to offer the community an opportunity to remember, respond and rebuild by remembering those lost on Sept. 11, responding to the attacks in a positive and uniquely American way and rebuilding our community through volunteer service.\nSpecial gifts were given to the Bloomington Police Department, the Bloomington Fire Department and Bloomington Hospital in the form of murals painted by children. These painted murals showed the jobs of those departments as seen through the eyes of small children.\nAfter the meeting, Galvan explained the role that the Volunteer Students Bureau plays at IU. \nShe said the organization is a volunteering resource at IU that works alongside the Bloomington Volunteer Network. Most activities are publicized through an e-mail list that now includes the names of about 400 students.