Inside Look- The Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice PDF

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Every week, students had to submit a one page assignment that provided an overview of any campus resource, including an interview with an individual that worked at that office. This particular assignment focuses on the Dorothy Day Center....

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Campus Resource Report Week 2 Inside Look: The Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice On Monday, September 19th, 2016, I visited the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice with my fellow Campus Visit group members. When we visited the center, located next to the dining hall on the first floor of McGinley Center, we spoke to workstudy student worker, Celeste Rodriguez. She told us that the center, open Mondays through Fridays from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., serves as a wonderful volunteer opportunity resource for students seeking to become involved within the community – especially the Bronx community. Dorothy Day has over 40 community partner organizations, ranging in categories; some are health-related - such as HIV prevention - and others include community organizing, immigration rights support, and tutoring and mentoring. This year, the main focus of community organizing is hunger. However, Dorothy Day also goes above and beyond in raising social justice awareness and hosting toy and clothing drives to truly make a difference. There is even a college access program that allows Fordham to partner with different schools in the Bronx area to help young students become aware of their future academic opportunities; Dorothy Day hosts workshops and visiting days so that those students can stay on campus and get an idea of what their lives may be like through college in the near future. Dorothy Day also provides students with the opportunity to join different programs such as RISE and Urban Plunge. Rams in Solidarity for Equality (RISE) allows past student volunteers to reflect on their community volunteering experiences, the struggle of oppression, and the importance of non-profit organizations. Urban Plunge is a pre-orientation program for incoming freshman; the program allows the students to dive into the history and culture of the Bronx and gather in small groups to discuss social justice concepts such as racism, minimum wage, and poverty. If a student has a particular passion for community service, he or she has the chance to become a Social Justice Leader (SJL) as soon as his or her sophomore year. Dorothy Day trains SJL’s to maintain respectful conversations within the groups they lead for Urban Plunge or RISE meetings. Taking advantage of Dorothy Day Center as a Fordham resource not only provides volunteer organizations with welcome aid, but also allows students to grow as individuals. Giving back to the community with time and service is an enriching way to help create a better world for themselves, those around them, and those in need....