Week of Caring begins

Whether you have an old coat to spare, an urge to clean up the community or a desire to volunteer, this is the week to take action. The Bloomington Volunteer Network, in collaboration with the IU Student Activities Office, United Way and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, is sponsoring the Week of Caring, which began Saturday and continues through the weekend. \nThe week includes 47 different service projects, sponsored by 35 different organizations, designed to get the community involved in volunteering around Bloomington. It is also designed to familiarize volunteers with locations of non-profit agencies in hopes they will continue volunteering. \nThis year's theme is, "inform, inspire, involve," and the planning committee members hope to accomplish just that. \nDarrell Ann Stone, associate director of student activities for service and leadership, has begun to rally students, faculty and staff to get involved with the week. \n"I hope that students will be involved civically and give back to a community that gives so much to them," Stone said. "I also hope that students learn about social issues perhaps they haven't paused on before, and how it engages them in furthering their education." \nWeek of Caring was started in Bloomington in 1996 as an extension of the nationwide Make a Difference Day. \n"It's always very productive," Stone said. "It's a bridging of communities when students and community members come together." \nAt least 15 student organizations on campus have already volunteered to participate in at least one activity. Georgia Schaich, RSVP director, said she expects to have between 500 and 1,000 total volunteers. \nLast year, the Week of Caring was planned around remembering 9/11, and over 1,470 volunteers completed 40 projects for local non-profit organizations. \n"Week of Caring has always been very successful," Bet Savich, director of the BVN, said. "Both students and long-term community members are willing to pitch in and get involved." \nSome of the on going service projects this week include "Shoeboxes for Shelters" which is collecting toiletry items for the homeless, and "Tell A Friend Breast Cancer Awareness Project" where volunteers sign up to contact family members and friends 40 years or older to remind them of the importance of regular mammograms. There is also a diaper drive, food drive and children's safety day. Annual events included in the week are the "Walk for Diabetes" Saturday and the "Church World Service Crop Walk" Sunday. \nA new event this year is the anti-litter campaign, "Pick It Up Bloomington." From 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, registered neighborhoods will host litter patrols throughout the community.\n"We want everybody in town to do this," Savich said. "Hopefully it will become an annual event."\nEach year, RSVP tries to involve itself in one special project during the week of caring. This year, it is hoping to collect over 100 coats to be donated to local children. One day after starting, members already had half a box full of coats. RSVP is also trying to reach out to nursing homes with visits from elementary school children.\n"Everything so far has gone really well," Schaich said. \n-- Contact staff writer Hannah Schroder at hschrode@indiana.edu