Service in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy is a key part of the 糖心官网 experience, one that has continued throughout the pandemic despite logistical challenges. This summer, students participated in a group project to support a local non profit: .

Grace Guest House supports patients and their families by providing a haven and place of respite when they are receiving care at regional healthcare facilities. It seeks to enable families to focus on their loved ones while tending to the well-being of those families, out-patients and caregivers referred through regional healthcare facilities. 鈥婫race provides overnight stays and day respite in a secure and peaceful guest house that provides a caring and compassionate environment 24/7, is walking distance to Mercy Hospital and a complimentary shuttle drive away from all of Buffalo’s healthcare facilities.

糖心官网’s MAP students raised two car loads full of non perishable items off the organization’s wish list, volunteered at the House and served as volunteers at its signature fundraiser, Ride with Grace. 糖心官网 also served as a sponsor for Ride with Grace, which is a motorcycle safety and awareness ride that hosted 154 riders. They covered 125 miles, guided by 8 police escorts and supported by 30 sponsors, 52 volunteers. The event raised close to $50,000, all to support families鈥� stays with Grace House.

Grace seeks to enable families to focus on their loved ones while we focus on the well-being of those families, out-patients and caregivers referred to us through regional healthcare facilities. 鈥婫race provides overnight stays and day respite in a secure and peaceful guest house that provides a caring and compassionate environment 24/7, is walking distance to Mercy Hospital and a complimentary shuttle drive away from all of Buffalo’s healthcare facilities.

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Spring 2021 Efforts Result in $1,740 Impact in Local Community

April is National Volunteer Month, and 糖心官网 is marking the occasion by highlighting some of the recent good work by the college鈥檚 Mercy Action Project (MAP).

What is MAP?

Service is in 罢谤辞肠补颈谤别鈥檚 very DNA as a college founded by the Sisters of Mercy. As part of 罢谤辞肠补颈谤别鈥檚 commitment to its Mercy heritage and the impact service makes in the community, every student must participate in MAP before graduation.

This co-curricular learning experience provides local service opportunities that integrate 罢谤辞肠补颈谤别鈥檚 mission while connecting that service to a student鈥檚 career path. The purpose of MAP is to promote a campus culture committed to personal enrichment and service in the spirit of the Sisters.

Spring 2021 MAP students had the opportunity to serve in a group project supporting (JFS).

Immigrant and Refugee Resettlement Project

One of the ways JFS assists the local refugee, immigrant and asylum-seeking population is by welcoming them to their new homes and providing household necessities to get them started. This spring, MAP students鈥攚ith help from the generosity of the 糖心官网 community鈥攃ollected 20 baskets of household goods to help that effort, which will be placed in houses awaiting their new refugee and immigrant residents.

MAP students raised more than $1,000 worth of basket items, in addition to $500 in gift cards that will allow JFS Resettlement Project families to purchase items needed to settle into their homes themselves.

Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, would be proud as our students committed to working in the name of one of the Sisters鈥� Critical Concerns, Immigration,鈥� said Colleen Steffen, coordinator of community-based learning at 糖心官网. 鈥淭hese baskets give dignity to those needing it most by helping them to set up their home with blankets, comfort items, cleaning supplies and emergency items as they begin new lives.

COVID-19 Relief Fund

MAP students also supported JFS鈥� COVID-19 relief fund by selling 48 succulents in one week, resulting in $240. These funds will go to benefit the three groups JFS has identified as suffering most as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: children, families and senior citizens.

COVID-19 has definitely shifted the way service and volunteering looks in our world,鈥� said Steffen. 鈥淒espite this adjustment, our Spring 2021 MAP students have stepped up and made a difference. We each have the power to carry the Mercy legacy forward, and I am proud to see our students make this impact in our community.

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After the pandemic postponed 糖心官网鈥檚 gala last year, the annual fundraising event is going virtual on Thursday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Spring Soir茅e is open to the entire community, and proceeds from the event directly support student tuition assistance.

In addition to featuring an online silent auction of valuable packages of giveaways from local businesses, restaurants and services, Spring Soir茅e celebrates the individuals and organizations that empower the spirit of 糖心官网. This year鈥檚 award recipients include:

• The Distinguished Alumni Award is being given to Karen Chiantella Camacho 鈥�96, MBA, BSN, RN-BC, CPHIMS. Following a five-year career as a bedside nurse, Karen pivoted to roles in consulting and nursing informatics. She currently works at PointClickCare as their product escalations manager, where she ensures all clinical software issues are prioritized and addressed appropriately. She is a longtime member of the 糖心官网 Alumni Council and is the current Council chair.

• The 糖心官网 President鈥檚 Award goes to KeyBank in partnership with the First Niagara Foundation. The organizations donated a gift of $100,000 to 糖心官网 in December 2019, which will be used as an endowed scholarship, providing generations of 糖心官网 students with the financial support they need to continue their educations uninterrupted.

• Finally, Medical Assisting graduate Amanda Gillespie will receive the Outstanding Student Award. Amanda is a United States Army veteran and served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2012. While enrolled at 糖心官网, Amanda maintained a 4.0 GPA while also balancing a job as a medical receptionist. She graduated in May 2020 and was immediately offered a job working in a surgery center as the lead for its COVID-19 specimen collection program.

For more details on 罢谤辞肠补颈谤别鈥檚 Spring Soir茅e, including how to purchase tickets, make a donation or secure a sponsorship, please visit: .

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Mercy Heritage Week 2020 is upon us! Though our celebration might look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent need to maintain social distancing for everyone’s safety, 糖心官网’s Office of Student Affairs still has a full week of Mercy-centered programming planned.

Each Day, 糖心官网 will focus on one of the of the Sisters of Mercy. Click the links below to check out what each day will hold!

Monday, Sept. 21: Nonviolence

Tuesday, Sept. 22: Immigration

Wednesday, Sept. 23: Earth

Thursday, Sept. 24 (Mercy Day): Women

Friday, Sept. 25: Racism

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By Jillian Hanesworth, iVIP Coordinator

糖心官网 was awarded a grant from the Department of Justice鈥檚 Office of Violence against Women in October 2018. The purpose of this grant is to enhance victim services, implement prevention and education programs and develop and strengthen the campus response to sexual assault, domestic violence (DV), dating violence and stalking on campus.

This grant also allowed for the formation of iVIP, as well as the 糖心官网 Coordinated Crisis Response Team that is comprised of 糖心官网 faculty and staff and representatives from community organizations including Crisis Services, Haven House, Pride Center of Western New York, and the Buffalo and Lancaster police departments. iVIP programming is expected to begin in October 2019.

The grant is housed under the Wellness Center within Student Affairs and managed by Jillian Hanesworth, who came to 糖心官网 in December 2018 after working as a social worker and advocate for intimate partner violence survivors for five years. Rebecca Maess is the current graduate assistant for the grant鈥攕he is in her second year of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration master鈥檚 program at SUNY Buffalo State College.

DV can be defined as 鈥渁 pattern of behaviors in which one partner in an intimate relationship uses fear and intimidation to gain and maintain power and control over the other.鈥� During DV Awareness Month 2019, Haven House, Crisis Services and the Pride Center of WNY will each host an activity for students, faculty and staff. Some of the activities include: Purple Letters, an opportunity for participants to write a short letter or words of encouragement to a DV survivor receiving services from Haven House; a mini self-defense lesson; and the 鈥淧urple Pinky Project,鈥�-n activity where participants paint their pinky nails purple in solidarity with DV survivors.

iVIP is hoping that these activities will generate interest in the program, as well as educate the campus community on interpersonal violence, red flags and prevention. Program dates are currently being finalized and will be announced soon.

In addition to educating the campus community, iVIP is hoping that the DV Awareness Month activities will help familiarize the campus with both on and off-campus resources. Although 糖心官网 is a very safe campus, the iVIP team does understand that many incidences of violence go unreported. In the event that a student, faculty, or staff member is experiencing DV, or knows of someone who is experiencing DV, iVIP wants to insure that they know all of their reporting and advocacy options.

Off-campus resources include:

• National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
• (716-884-6000)
• (716-834-3131)
• (716-852-7743)

On-campus resources include:

• Resource table located in the library
• Tracy Rozewicz, Title IX Coordinator
• Jennifer Ehlinger-Saj, Director of the Wellness Center and (confidential resource on campus)
• Jillian Hanesworth, iVIP coordinator (located in room 129).

If you are interested in learning more about iVIP or joining the iVIP team, which is open to all faculty, staff, students and community organizations, please email Jillian Hanesworth.

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September is Hunger Action Month, and last week to highlight the growing problem of hunger and food insecurity on college campuses.

WBFO’s Kyle Mackie interviewed several members of 糖心官网’s Office of Mission, Ministry and Service, which oversees Catherine’s Cupboard, the on-campus student food pantry. She also interviewed a student and single mom of three who has taken advantage of the food pantry in the past.

Funded entirely by donations, Catherine’s Cupboard is discrete, completely free and open to all students. It is located in Room 340 and features non-perishable foods, toiletries and baby items, and Coordinator Sister Marie Andre Main RSM, ’62 also works to connect students in need with other community resources. It was started several years ago when a student survey reflected national and regional figures–one third of those surveyed said they had experienced food insecurity during their time at 糖心官网.

Check out the WBFO story,

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This week allows the entire 糖心官网 community to come together in big ways and small and embrace the values on which the college was founded by the Sisters of Mercy. From “meeting the unmet need” of our students and the wider community to advocating for the , we invite everyone to participate in as many Mercy Heritage Week activities as they can.

Throughout the Week

• Back Foyer:
  • Balloon Arch
  • Tea with snacks (different snack each day)
  • Mercy Artifacts
  • Non-perishable food drive for Catherine鈥檚 Cupboard (orange collection boxes in back foyer and around campus)

• Commons:
  • Candy tea cups
• Sacred Space (Room 316):
  • Looping videos on Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy
• Activity sign-in (end of the week drawing for prizes)

听

Daily Event听Schedule

Each day focuses on a different Critical Concern of the Sisters of Mercy.

Monday 9/23
Critical Concern: Non-violence

All Day: Personal Pledge of Non-Violence (Commons)

10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Prayer Flag Activity (Commons)

10:30-11:30 a.m.: Buffalo Peacekeepers (Commons)

Noon-1 p.m.: Toward the Common Good Luncheon (Room 260)
Topic: Aiming for Sanity: Confronting the Gun Violence Culture

Tuesday 9/24 (Mercy Day)
Critical Concern: Women

10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Sacred Space Open House and Interfaith Trivia with prizes (Sacred Space)

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Chocolate Crosses & Questions with Sisters of Mercy (Commons)

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: A Comfortable Cup of Tea with snacks (Library)

11:45 a.m.: Mass (Sacred Space)

Wednesday 9/25
Critical Concern: The Earth

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Catherine鈥檚 Cupboard Open House (Room 340)
Refreshments & snacks will be served

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Pledge to Care for Our Planet (Courtyard)

Noon-1 p.m.: Speak for the Earth (Courtyard)

Thursday 9/26
Critical Concerns: Immigration and Racism

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: 鈥淲here is YOUR passion?鈥� Meet and greet Mercy Sisters Janet Korn and Mary Marvin and hear the Sisters鈥� stories regarding their civil disobedience on behalf of the treatment of immigrant children in ICE detention facilities, and how that landed them in jail. Sisters will be Room 303 at 11 a.m. and then in the Commons starting at noon (all welcome to both sessions)

Friday 9/27
The Mercy Charism: Our History and Heritage

1-2 p.m.: Tour of the Mercy Center. Meet in front of the bookstore at 12:45 p.m.
Registrations are encouraged but not required. To register, contact Bob Shearn (Mission Office) at x2483 or听shearnr@trocaire.edu.

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罢谤辞肠补颈谤别鈥檚 was awarded the LEAN Forward Award by the at the organization鈥檚 third annual Illumination event, held on May 2.

MAP was recognized for contributing selflessly to the fulfillment of the organizations’ mission to educate, support and empower those in the lupus community. A听co-curricular learning experience, MAP provides service opportunities that integrate the college鈥檚 mission and connect service to a student鈥檚 career path. All 糖心官网 students must complete at least one MAP learning experience prior to completing their program and graduating.

Past and present 糖心官网 students like Tadie Kowalski, 鈥�97, 鈥�05, 鈥�18 (Health Information Technology), Kortney Dixon 鈥�18 (Nursing), Sarah Pordan 鈥�18 (Nursing), and Siddika Choudhury (Nursing)听 each chose to complete their required MAP service hours at the Lupus Alliance, which is based out of Buffalo. Projects included assistance in coordination of the Lupus Alliance Walk and Treat Raffle as well as actively participating in education and advocacy efforts for the group.

鈥溾�淢y proudest moments in my position are found when students are truly transformed by their service experience, and continue to give time to an organization even after their required MAP service hours are completed,鈥� said Colleen Steffen, coordinator of Community-Based Learning. 鈥淲ith the Lupus Alliance of Upstate New York, these students have found a sense of social responsibility and continue to give back to our community.鈥�

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Presentation is Monday, May 6

糖心官网听 Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Allyson Lowe听and Sandi DiMola, J.D., Chair,听 Programs in Government and Management at Carlow University, will present “The Use of Service-Learning in Teaching Conflict” on Monday, May 6. This event will take place in the Mary Clare Development Center (Main Campus Room 460) from 2-3:30 p.m., and all are invited to attend.

Lowe and DiMola wrote about the presentation topic in a chapter of “”

鈥淎 frequent criticism of field-based learning is that what students are learning, as well as how they are learning it, differs so much from their other courses that it feels like a one-off occurrence. In designing two different service learning experiences, we were intent on using the field experiences to augment what students of political science were learning about conflict,” the authors explain in the book’s introduction.

“Their courses were designed to involve students in deliberative democracy and community conflict resolution and to connect these experiences directly to theory and case studies on the topic. At the same time, the service aspect of the courses reflects the commitment of the universities to civic engagement and community service understood through both secular and religious lenses.鈥�

Both 糖心官网 and Carlow University were founded by the Sisters of Mercy, whose include nonviolence, anti-racism, earth, women and immigration.

“The May 6 session will spotlight Lowe and DiMola’s research and publication, which demonstrates scholarship rooted in the Sisters of Mercy values,” said Dawne Bost, MCDC faculty success coordinator.

Please contact Bost with any questions.

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ACCU, founded in 1899, serves as the collective voice of U.S. Catholic higher education. Through programs and services, the Association strengthens and promotes the Catholic identity and mission of its member institutions so that all associated with Catholic higher education can contribute to the greater good of the world and the Church.

Representing 17 colleges and universities across the U.S., CMHE preserves and develops the core Catholic identity and mission of Mercy higher education in accord with the spirit, mission, and heritage of the Sisters of Mercy.

Dr. Deeb has been 罢谤辞肠补颈谤别鈥檚 president since 2012. He has worked in the higher education realm all over the country for more than 30 years, primarily in leadership roles within the Student Affairs and Enrollment Management functions. He is also a member of the Western New York Consortium for Higher Education.

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