The program is really directed towards "special" children; those children with impaired hearing or talking disabilities. Noticing we have a good group of student jugglers who do presentations at Lobby 10, we have decided to set up a circus for these children, completely staffed by MIT students. We aspire to get mimes, jugglers, clowns and magicians from the student body and contact the local zoo to present one of their furry animals on campus for a couple of hours. We are scheduling this event for May. We will encourage the Undergraduate Association to get involved in the creation of this project.
The Change a Life Program offers a weekly opportunity for volunteer service in the surrounding Boston and Cambridge community. Our volunteers work at homeless shelters, nursing homes, rehabiliation centers, children's hospitals, and other community centers. If you would like to join this hard-working group, show up Sunday at 9:00am on the steps of the Student Center or 4:00pm in front of Laverdes.
Right now, we only have one hospital team. The New England Medical Center was originally found as a children's hospital, but we have discovered that they offer quite a bit more. If interested, you must attend an orientation at the hospital for training and an interview is required before you can begin volunteering at the New England Medical Center. Positions in almost every department are open. You are allowed to choose a department, but the medical center itself will assign the department you will work in. If you need more information, contact Greg Reynolds at greynlds@mit.edu.
We have two teams going to CASPAR every Sunday (9am and 3:45pm). CASPAR is a nearby homeless shelter (240 Albany). We help them to cook and serve dinners, clean up, wash sheets and clothing, and generally make the place a much more liveable environment for the guests. It's lots of fun and doesn't take too much time. If you are interested, contact Justin Lin at JL79@mit.edu (Team 1, 9am) or Bradley Ito at bito@mit.edu (Team 2, 4:00pm).
The CASPAR Teams are currently undergoing changes and may not be meeting at the normal times
The program is designed to give MIT freshmen the opportunity to visit an elder on an ongoing basis; spend time talking with them; share in some social activities; and assist, when appropriate, with tasks requiring personal presence and reassurance. "Somerville-Cambridge Elder Service" will assign each interested student or pair of students to an elderly person, whom they would visit for one or more hours every week. Anyone who is interested in working with elders and learning more about their needs and concerns can contact pbnasser@mit.edu.
We are currently starting a program at a Tutoring Service for the underpriviledged. If you want to help, see the officers involved.
Last updated April 28, 1998
by Bradley Ito, bito@mit.edu