CSUnity

[vc_row el_class=”intro-copy”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”48602″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][heading text=”CSUnity 2021: Re-Envisioned”][vc_message message_box_color=”warning”]Due to the University’s COVID Safety Measures and the ongoing pandemic, CSUnity is again cancelled in its traditional form.[/vc_message][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]Branching Out & Cultivating Community

In place of the large-scale, one-day service tradition of CSUnity, SLiCE instead is encouraging fellow Rams to consider how they can further “branch out” and “cultivate” community-mindedness this spring season and beyond.  Each April, National Volunteer Month is celebrated across the nation.  Yet, April 2021 comes with unique challenges this year due to the ongoing pandemic, CSU’s Spring Break being delayed to April, and CSU students returning to all-virtual classes for the remainder of the semester.  Due these circumstances, the SLiCE office is intentionally sharing virtual/remote volunteering opportunities for any of whom are interested to engage in community engagement work either locally, state-wide, nationally, and globally.

In conjunction with our Service Happenings program, CSU Rams can find volunteering opportunities specifically geared toward them.  Service Happenings is a multi-faceted program currently with a regularly updated calendar of volunteer opportunities and a monthly newsletter.  This newsletter goes features upcoming service opportunities and focuses on one relevant community-based topic in each issue.  Check out the calendar and/or sign up for the newsletter if you wish to learn more.

Additionally, the below information is for our community partners who usually collaborate with us during CSUnity – this includes non-profits and local neighbors.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_btn title=”Explore Service Happenings” color=”warning” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Flscprod.colostate.edu%2Fslice%2Fslice-engagement%2Fservice-happenings%2F%20″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_tta_accordion active_section=”0″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”Community Agency Virtual Volunteer Requests” tab_id=”1585759576169-f4f19576-fd47″][vc_column_text]The SLiCE team continues to send you, your colleagues, and your clients, positive thoughts during this ongoing pandemic. Though we are not coordinating volunteer groups, nor matching any volunteers with your virtual volunteer requests, any community agencies (as in non-profit or government-based organizations) may submit virtual volunteering requests via our intake form. We will add your one-time or ongoing volunteer requests to our Service Happenings Calendar and the Service Happenings Newsletter.  Both will be shared with members of the CSU Community, and we will continue to encourage Rams to consider volunteering this spring and onward.

Please note, only virtual volunteering experiences will be currently featured, yet if pandemic policies and procedures change at the University, more physically distanced, in-person offerings will be shared once again.

Visit Service Happenings to Submit Virtual Volunteer Requests as a Community Agency

EXPLORE[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Resident Relief Resources” tab_id=”1585759686433-0beb1c23-83b6″][vc_column_text]The SLiCE team continues to send you, your neighbors, your friends, and your family positive thoughts during this ongoing pandemic.  We understand the cancellation of this spring clean-up event may create a hardship for some members of our community.  Thus, we have gathered a handful of community resources that may be able to help fill the gap and assist you with your outdoor yard work this spring.  Though CSUnity volunteers will not be your go-to source of help, these local non-profits can likely support you more frequently than our once-a-year event anyway.

A Little HelpA Little Help aims to help older adults successfully age at their home and in their community.  They offer “a little help” by cultivating relationships between local neighbors and volunteers through one-on-one connections as well as social and educational events.  Services include but are not limited to grocery/medicine errands, check-in calls, and occasional yard clean-up projects.  For more information, call their Northern Colorado regional office at 970-412-9396 or reach out to office@alittlehelp.org .

2-1-1 ColoradoThe Colorado State Emergency Operations Center activated 2-1-1 Colorado to connect Coloradans with human service resources statewide; it is confidential and multilingual.  Coloradans can also dial 2-1-1 or text their zip code to 898-211. Navigations services to resources include but is not limited to housing, rent/utility assistance, applying for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits by phone, food/meals, transportation, personal/household needs, mental health, government/economic services, and employment.

Adopt A NeighborThe City of Fort Collins is looking for neighbors in Fort Collins and the surrounding area who are in need of assistance with regular tasks. Tasks may include but are not limited to grocery shopping and delivery, basic errands, driveway shoveling, outdoor pet care/dog walking, and more. Tasks are provided by a local neighbor who has volunteered with the program and is paired with a resident.  Please sign up for services online here or contact Neighborhood Services at 970-416-8000.

Hunger Free ColoradoThey strive to connect Coloradans to food resources. Their page is regularly updated on how COVID-19 is affecting food access across the state. They share information on food resource hotlines, school meals, food pantries, and SNAP.

Larimer County Network of Care

Offered by Larimer County’s Office of Aging Services, this is a resource list of medical providers offering various support during these times.  You may also apply to receive a “chore voucher” that provides some financial support for yard work but may not fully cover all costs.  This program is designed to support individuals residing in Larimer County who are 60 years of age or older and are unable to perform chores or tasks around their home due to limited physical ability or endurance.  For more information about the Chore Voucher Program, click here, or call 970-498-7750.

Senior Alternatives in Transportation -SAINT is a local non-profit agency providing personal transportation to people sixty years old and older, and people with disabilities that prevent them from driving.  Volunteers have helped their neighbors in Fort Collins and Loveland get to the doctor’s office, the grocery store, and wherever else they need to go do.  Fort Collins residents should call 970-223-8645 and Loveland residents should call 970-223-8653 for more information.

United Way of Larimer County

UWLC works to cultivate and mobilize community resources to change and save lives.  They continue to update their list of community resources throughout the pandemic.  Categories include food assistance, senior support, small business support, medical assistance, unemployment and financial resources, family resources, medical heath resources, and utilities/rent assistance.  Call 970-407-7000 for more information.

Volunteers of America Handyman Program If you are seeking assistance with simple, safety-related repairs around the home, then look no further.  Volunteers of America (VOA) offers a variety of services including Meals on Wheels, senior housing assistance, veteran and housing assistance, caregiver support, senior dining, and more.  Contact the VOA Northern Colorado office at larimer@voacolorado.org or call 970-472-9630 for more information.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1584137070800{margin-top: 80px !important;}”][vc_column][heading text=”CSUnity: A Spring Service Day”][vc_column_text]Join this CSU tradition and either volunteer with fellow Rams for a day of service in your local community or host a service project!

As a spring service day, CSUnity: A Spring Service Day tends to have two thousand volunteers from the CSU community gather for a day of service in and around Fort Collins. CSUnity: A Spring Service Day is a community engagement program meant to enhance town-and-gown interactions in positive ways between CSU volunteers and Northern Colorado community members. Volunteers could clean up yards/playgrounds/natural areas, mulch, plant flowers, paint sheds, sort food, visit with older adults, and much more. Service sites tend to be coordinated by local neighbors/residents (as in older adults or folks with disabilities who cannot complete these project themselves) and community agencies (as in non-profits organizations, as well as the City of Fort Collins, and other county, state, and federal agencies).  A variety of community engagement opportunities are available on this one-day service plunge with most projects entailing spring clean-up tasks, but also other creative assignments and beneficial opportunities.

Examples of service projects include:

  • General yard work, landscaping, gardening, and painting
  • Building, grounds, and equipment repair and maintenance
  • Organization/sorting of goods
  • Cleaning of spaces/surfaces
  • Environmental work including trail building, road and waterway cleanup
  • Direct work with clients and work to support the identified mission of agencies and organizations
  • Event support and management

CSUnity 2020: Saturday, April 18, 2020 from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.* 

*NEW Make-Up Day: Saturday April 25, 2020 from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.  Should there be severe, inclement weather on April 18, this is the pre-scheduled make-up date.  Volunteers need to plan on both days, though will be asked to only volunteer one of the two CSUnity Saturdays.

To learn more about the Inclement Weather/Make-Up Day Procedure, as well as what is required of Volunteers, and offered to Service Project Hosts, scroll below to the F.A.Q. section and review the registration portals for each entity of CSUnity 2020: A Spring Service Day.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

The Benefits of CSUnity

  • “My husband has a slowly progressing disease. The students helped with the garden and helped relieve my husband’s sadness. This was our second time in 10 years that we have participated with SLiCE, it is fun to be around young people and hear about their friends, family, pets, dreams and goals. Thank you!” – Local Neighbor
  • “The group that came to my home was awesome! They were diligent, caring, and extremely helpful. Please tell them I really appreciate the work they provided; stellar group!” – Community Agency
  • “The group was very helpful, and we got a lot of trash cleaned up in our wetlands. The habitat is appreciative.” -Community Agency
  • “It is important to be patient and kind to other generations of people that live in the same community. As college students, we are somewhat aware of the rest of the Fort Collins community that are our neighbors. -CSU Student
  • “Volunteering is a great way to know your community and strengthen the bond you have already within a group.” – CSU Student

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes”][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”nivo” interval=”3″ images=”48605,48606,48607,48608,48609,48610,48611,48612″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes” parallax_image=”” css=”.vc_custom_1586185339050{margin-top: 20px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;}” el_class=”funnels”][vc_column el_class=”slice-engagement-funnels”][heading text=”General F.A.Q.”][vc_toggle title=”Why did SLiCE institute a new Make-Up Day?” style=”round_outline”]To try to better accommodate community needs should there be severe, inclement weather, this year a NEW pre-scheduled make-up date will be utilized, if needed. Yet, this date can only be utilized by the service host if there is severe, inclement weather on April 18.  Examples of severe, inclement weather include what was experienced during CSUnity 2019 where there were snowy days before and on CSUnity; or nonstop, heavy rain and lightning on CSUnity.  This make-up day is meant for projects that are outside, where having wet grounds, inches of snow, or ice cold temperatures, inhibits projects from happening.  A light drizzle, a chance of storms, or light snowfall onto dry grounds are not examples of severe, inclement weather.

The SLiCE office would only ever cancel/reschedule CSUnity if the University has an official “Snow Day,” (see below for more information), otherwise the service hosts make the determination.

Thank you for working with us this year, as we try to something new for ideally the betterment of all to anticipate the bad weather seen in the past, and try to complete as many service projects as possible.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes” parallax_image=”” css=”.vc_custom_1584137080261{margin-top: 20px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;}” el_class=”funnels”][vc_column el_class=”slice-engagement-funnels”][team align=”center” linking=”no” groupslug=”csunity” show=”-1″ column=”two” title=”Register by March 27, 2020 by 11:59pm”][heading text=”Inclement Weather/Make-Up Procedure F.A.Q.”][vc_toggle title=”Why did SLiCE institute a new Make-Up Day?”]To try to better accommodate community needs should there be severe, inclement weather, this year a NEW pre-scheduled make-up date will be utilized, if needed. Yet, this date can only be utilized by the service host if there is severe, inclement weather on April 18.  Examples of severe, inclement weather include what was experienced during CSUnity 2019 where there were snowy days before and on CSUnity; or nonstop, heavy rain and lightning on CSUnity.  This make-up day is meant for projects that are outside, where having wet grounds, inches of snow, or ice cold temperatures, inhibits projects from happening.  A light drizzle, a chance of storms, or light snowfall onto dry grounds are not examples of severe, inclement weather.

The SLiCE office would only ever cancel/reschedule CSUnity if the University has an official “Snow Day,” (see below for more information), otherwise the service hosts make the determination.

Thank you for working with us this year, as we try to something new for ideally the betterment of all to anticipate the bad weather seen in the past, and try to complete as many service projects as possible.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What should volunteers know about the Make-Up Day?”]CSU volunteers need to plan to attend both dates to be able to participate in CSUnity this year.  As, it is required this year to complete your CSUnity project. Yet, only one of the two Saturdays will volunteers actually work on a service project.  The Saturday is determined by the community agency or neighbor who is hosting the service project, not the volunteer team.  Volunteers will learn if their assigned CSUnity project is rescheduled to the following weekend no earlier than Friday April 17, by learning of this information from the community agency or neighbor hosting their service project.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What should community agencies/residents know about the Make-Up Day?”]Agencies and neighbors are considered service project hosts and we let you use your best judgment based on your location to determine if the project should be outright canceled or rescheduled to the make-up date.  CSUnity volunteers do not make this determination.  The soonest you can make the determination to not have your service project on April 18 due to severe weather, is the day before, on Friday April 17.  Should a project try to reschedule to the following weekend before Friday April 17, the project will be considered canceled and SLiCE will try to relocate volunteers to another project.  This is the only day CSUnity volunteers are asked to complete rescheduled projects.  No other dates and times can be considered or requested.  If the make-up date experiences severe, inclement weather, CSUnity can no longer be rescheduled as it is a series of bad luck, and CSUnity will indefinitely be canceled for the year.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Will SLiCE cancel CSUnity if there is inclement weather?”]No. It is up to the community agencies or neighbors to determine if the severity of the inclement weather on CSUnity is not suitable for their project to occur. Each service project’s host knows their project’s location best – some homes have south-facing lawns where conditions can be dry, while others have north-facing lawns perhaps covered with inches of snow.  Some non-profits host projects up the Poudre Canyon, while others could host events inside in Old Town.  Thus, we allow community agencies and neighbors to make the determination to cancel or reschedule their project, themselves – SLiCE does not determine the fate 300+ projects in the event of inclement weather (99.9% of the time).

However, in the rarest of cases, SLiCE may have to cancel CSUnity, if the Lory Student Center closes due to the University’s Public Safety Team’s determination to close all campus operations and events because of severe weather.  Though most CSUnity service projects are not on campus, if extreme weather necessitates a decision to close campus, travel to, from, and around campus is considered hazardous as snow accumulates and crews work to clear it.  Hence, CSUnity would only be canceled by SLiCE because of the condition of roads near campus, which most volunteers would take to travel to the service sites.  If this occurs, CSUnity will be rescheduled to the predetermined make-up date the following weekend.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How can projects continue if there is inclement weather on CSUnity?”]First, not all projects are outdoors, though all neighbor projects are located outside.  Second, some projects can be moved indoors (if at a community agency), while others can still continue outside depending on the severity of weather and the nature of the project.  If outside, community agencies and volunteers should consider if weather has made the ground and outdoor conditions suitable for volunteers to visit and work on, or not.  They should also consider the safety of themselves and volunteers if they choose to carry onward with their project, particularly if snow has accumulated and projects are fully outside.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”If I have remaining questions about the CSUnity Inclement Weather/Make-Up Day Procedure, who should I contact?”]Please direct any questions to SLiCE’s Senior Program Coordinator, Sarah Stephens. Or call, SLiCE Reception at 970-491-1682.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes” parallax_image=”” css=”.vc_custom_1585759517760{margin-bottom: 60px !important;}”][vc_column][heading text=”Watch CSUnity in Action” tag=”h1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JemjpSRP_s”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]