Get Involved
"Even when my hours were darkest, I believed that some day I could share my experiences with readers, so as to prevent the same horrors from repeating themselves." (Preface, What is the What)
"We can turn away, or we can turn toward. Those are the only two choices we have." Internationally acclaimed author, volunteer, activist, and authority on leadership Margaret J. Wheatley poses this challenge to all of us. Don't just read about it - do something! You have the power to speak, connect, and make a difference in the lives of others, but it can only happen by intention. Choose to get involved. You can get involved on the other side of the globe or right here on campus.
Get Involved - Learn
Awareness is the foundation of action. Your involvement can start with the purchase of What is the What at the Champlain College Bookstore. Author Dave Eggers is donating all proceeds from book sales to a foundation that is helping to rebuild the village of Marial Bai, Valentino's boyhood home. Your $13.50 investment will go toward a library, women's center, youth activity center
, community gathering place, and a sports program, and will help underwrite college educations for Sudanese immigrants living in America.
Read the book, participate in class discussions, learn about the issues, attend the workshops, and come hear the author speak on Thursday, September 27th. Share your knowledge with fellow students, members of the faculty and staff, your family and friends. Host an awareness-raising event on campus. Rent and watch Lost Boys Of Sudan the award-winning documentary film by Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk.
Get Involved - Act
Consider earning your internship or community service hours with the New Sudan Education Initiative which is headquartered here in Burlington. Bring your skills, your imagination, your spirit and your enthusiasm and become an instrumental part in the next chapter in NESEI. Apply today and be forever changed by the Story of Sudan!
You can make a difference in the lives of the Sudanese and other refugees who have settled in Chittenden County by volunteering to support these new members of our community. Contact the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program.
At the International Rescue Committee, volunteers work closely with IRC staff members to help refugees in many different ways including tutoring in basic English skills; helping refugees write resumes and prepare for job interviews; picking up and delivering donated furniture; helping staff with media relations and publications; and mentoring refugee families or individuals.
Are you the adventurous sort, looking for an opportunity to visit the spot that most others will only know through newspapers, TV, and blogs? Consider joining Doctors Without Borders. The organization has a need for medical and non-medical aid workers. Teams are working in 22 locations across the three states of Sudan's western Darfur region to provide emergency medical care and relief supplies to several hundred thousand displaced people.
Get Involved - Donate
Save the Children is the largest international organization providing relief and vital services to children and families in Darfur. Their programs in Sudan help provide such basics as clean water, health care and camp coordination to the millions of displaced persons and refugees.
CARE offers opportunities for you to donate by mail or online as well as to contribute sky miles or mobile phones. Through CARE, you can also become a virtual volunteer or join a select group to visit their life-changing projects in person.
As the largest international humanitarian organization, the UN High Commission for Refugees provides refugees with emergency food, water, shelter, medical care and other essentials for their survival. When governments are unable or unwilling to protect their own citizens, UNHCR helps refugees find safety and the means to begin a normal life again.