Embedded Files
Pre-Service
Pre-Service
In the weeks leading up to our service break, we spent time studying various models that educated us on how to identify resources within our community and use them to create social change.
Active Citizenship Continuum
Active Citizenship Continuum
Active citizens are those who value community involvement and leadership, and use those values to take action within their communities. They know how to motivate individuals within their communities to work together towards a common goal.
Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Model
Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Model
The ABCD model is an approach to sustainable community development that encourages citizens to pool their individual strengths together with their community's resources. Citizens who follow this model participate in activities centering around teamwork, leadership, service and education to contribute to positive social change.
There are three foundational truths within the ABCD model:
Everyone has gifts
Everyone has something to contribute
Everyone cares about something, and that passion is a motivation to act
The ABCD model takes an optimistic approach to development, focusing on assets that a community is equipped with, rather than just its deficits and needs. There are six asset types within every community:
Physical
Human
Social
Environmental
Cultural
Political
Service
Service
During our service break, we were able to use our newly developed knowledge and skills to embody the characteristics of active citizens by working directly with several service organizations within the Iowa City community.
NAMI
NAMI
NAMI Johnson County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people and their families struggling with mental illness through crisis response, education, counseling, and support groups.
We spent a day learning about their mission and history and helping them develop a marketing plan for their upcoming NAMIWalks 5K in May. We presented our plans to their Fundraising Manager and had throughtful conversations about the needs of our community.
Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC)
Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC)
The Ronald McDonald is a global nonprofit charity that supports families with sick children by providing them with shelter and resources during their times of need. This allows parents to focus solely on the health of their child during that time.
Our team spent two days of our service week volunteering for the RMHC of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. We spent two nights cooking and packaging dinner for the families, as well as making tie blankets for them.
United Action for Youth
United Action for Youth
United Action for Youth is as non-profit organization located in Iowa City that provides social services to youth in the Johnson County Area. They provide a wide range of services, including mental health counseling, healthcare, personal development, and much more.
We were lucky enough to tour one of their facilities and learn a lot about the work being done by some of the professionals within the organization. Afterwards, we spent an afternoon creating victim advocacy kits for children and young adults that are experiencing mental health crises. The kits included things like inspirational messages, fidget toys, coloring books, candy, and personal care items.
Gems of Hope
Gems of Hope
Gems of Hope is a nonprofit organization in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Their mission is to bring hope to cancer patients and their families by providing them with gifts of inspirational cards and jewelry.
Our team contributed to the amazing work that this organization does by designing earrings for patients.
Healthy Kids Clinic
Healthy Kids Clinic
Healthy Kids Clinic through the Iowa City School District supports children that are uninsured, underinsured, ineligible for insurance by providing healthcare services such as free clinics and medications.
We created a foundation fundraising plan for them to use containing graphics and a list of potential monetary and pharmaceutical donors.
Connections
Connections
This service break gave us the opportunity to become active citizens by providing direct service work and by connecting ourselves with several organizations within our community. We got to learn about each organization and how it is an asset to the community. These organizations provided examples of many of the different types of capitals, such as physical, human, social, and cultural. Each organization is made up of diverse groups of individuals with their own professional skills that is necessary for the work they are doing. We also got to utilize the leadership skills that we spent so much time developing in order to add to the work being done by these organizations.
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