Trin 'Hearts' Hartford on Do It Day
GRIHA SINGLA
Issue date: 9/12/06 Section: Features
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"I chose to be a part of Do It Day because I thought it would be a good way to see Hartford, do community service and meet new people," commented Ben Elkin '10, waiting for the day's activities to begin.
Each year, the number of participants in Do It Day increases. This year more than 500 students participated, an impressive increase compared to last year's 450. Kat West '07, co-coordinator of this year's Do It Day, explained why the event is so important: "There's a good chance that you can go through your four years at Trinity without going into Hartford. I think people want to be involved [in the community], but need a program that will help them reach city organizations. After an experience like Do It Day, students can continue relationships with these groups." In many cases, students do choose to return to previous volunteer sites because of their past positive experience.
This year, fifty-seven organizations participated in Do It Day, all dedicated to helping citizens of Hartford. Some of the groups included the Connecticut Youth Forum, an organization that discusses teen issues regardless of race or sex, and Greater Hartford Association for Retarded Citizens, a group that helps people with mental retardation live comfortable lives. The Connecticut Pride Center, which had one of the largest groups of Trinity volunteers, creates a safe zone for all Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans-gendered and Inter-sex individuals.
One of the sites, the Immaculate Conception Shelter, a home that provides care for the homeless, has participated in Do It Day for years. Michael Grace, a staff member there, had nothing but praise for Trinity students. "We look forward to them coming every year. Every time they come here it is a blessing."
Anne Walsh of The Right Place, a center dedicated to the care of young children from low-income families, complimented Trinity students as well. "Trinity students have always been helpful and cooperative. For me to give up a Saturday afternoon -- and I have three kids -- it has to be good." The only criticism that Hartford groups have vocalized in the past is that students finish the work too quickly and that there is not enough to do.
Alison Moore '09 spent the day at Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation, a nonprofit homeless shelter sponsored by the Sisters of Mary. "Even though our volunteering was limited to raking the yard of the shelter, I got to learn a little bit about Hartford past," said Moore. "While I was working, I found a memorial built for a man who dedicated his life to helping the homeless. I felt honored to be able to help straighten up the garden around the memorial so that others could more easily admire it and read the inscription about what he had done for Hartford."
The Community Service Center has dedicated a large part of its time to introducing Trinity students to Hartford, and vice versa. Aside from Do It Day, they supervise many programs including, but not limited to, the Upass system, which is subsidized by the student government, Trinity's Boys and Girls Club, Peter's Retreat, Voices Raised in Democracy, ConnPIRG, and the Big Brother/Big Sister program.
"It is hard for people to make it into Hartford because Trinity can be an insular community. Do It Day demystifies Hartford for people and the last few years of the program have been really incredible. However, Do It Day alone does not change people's perceptions of Hartford. It introduces them to one part of the city, increases their familiarity," stated Joe Barber, Director of the Office of Community Service and Civil Engagement commented.
With this Saturday's Do It Day, the program celebrated its eighth anniversary. In the early '90s, Barber and a Trinity student began discussing the idea of a service day, but it was not until two years later that the idea came to fruition.
When discussing possible names for the project, all involved were stumped. It was not until Barber suggested a name he had once heard that things became clear. "We had lots of lame names for the day, including Community Service Day. All of a sudden I remembered a UConn event that used the name "Do It Day," and everyone liked the idea. At first it was an experiment, but the named picked up and we ran with it. It was easy to remember."
One of the reasons Do It Day was implemented was to rid the fear many students have of Hartford. "It's easy to avoid the city," said Marla Stancil '07, co-coordinator of Do It Day. But people need to know what a great resource Hartford can be. "People go abroad to encounter different cultures, but they can find it all in Hartford. There's a great mix of language and culture, and the diversity is incredible."
"We just want to say thank you to everyone," said Stancil and West. "People have been extremely generous, from students volunteering and putting up fliers to restaurants for their catering. We encourage people to continue the relationships they created with their organizations." Contact information can be found at Trinity's Community Service Center on Mather's lower level.
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