1. Engaging campuses in service to the community
Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Impact Report: Marietta College
Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA strategically connects college resources with
communities in need. Corps members gain valuable experience and educational awards.
Campuses expand their civic outreach. And community partners receive critical support.
Poverty Alleviation Focus Area: Food Insecurity
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND For more information contact:
VISTA Corps member: Amanda Dever
Marietta College is located in Ohio’s southeast 740-376-4739 ald003@marietta.edu
Appalachian region and Marietta continues to struggle Site Supervisor: Arielle Jennings
with poverty related issues. According to the U.S. 740-376-4561 aj002@marietta.edu
Census Bureau, 16.9% of Washington County residents Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Sr. Program Director:
lived at or below the poverty level in 2008. With the Lesha Farias (740) 587-8571 • lesha.farias@gmail.com
recent loss of manufacturing jobs in the Appalachian www.ohiocampuscompact.org
region, unemployment numbers are up to a rate of 8.0%
for Washington County. In addition to the
unemployment rate, 14.7% of people in Washington
County are considered to be food insecure, meaning
they struggle to put food on the table for all three
meals. Marietta is the county seat of Washington
County, located just a mile from the West Virginia
border. According to the Marietta Community Food
Pantry, 7,665 Marietta based clients were served in
2010 and 3,421 clients have already been served this
year (as of June 30th, 2011).
Because of the growing need, Marietta College has been
an active contributor in the fight against food insecurity
in Washington County. To address these problems of
food insecurity in Marietta, Ohio Campus Compact and
Marietta College created an AmeriCorps*VISTA
position in 2009 to spearhead some of the food
insecurity projects at Marietta College. Marietta College Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA Amanda Dever
(middle), the Office of Civic Engagement, and many student
is located close to the center of Marietta. The College
volunteers were able to host a community meal at the Daily
has continued to be an active collaborator with Bread Kitchen in Marietta, Ohio. Student involved (Sarah
community partners across the city. This past year Brunner, left and Sydney Maltese, right) in the planning and
brought a variety of changes that sparked a series of implementation of the free community lunch collaborated
new ideas and exciting opportunities for potential food with community partners. This project provided an
insecurity programming. Also, the College developed opportunity for students to engage with community based
two new staff positions, allowing for the formation of social justice issues while broadening relationships with
the Office of Civic Engagement, a team of people community members. The students were able to fundraise all
dedicated to creating positive impact on the community of the cost for food and they prepared all of the dishes for the
based initiatives in Marietta, like food insecurity. meal. In the end, the community partners at the Daily Bread
Kitchen were please with the results of the project: over 70
people served—their largest number of meals served at that
point!

2. COMMUNITY IMPACT The VISTA Impact
by the numbers:
Marietta College values its place as a community partner and has
continued to be a contributor to the community through the work of Hunger and Homelessness
community outreach programs, like AmeriCorps*VISTA. To address
the growing need for food access in the area, Marietta College has
Week
partnered with a number of nonprofit organizations that work in the Daily Bread Free Community Meal
food insecurity sector. In an effort to create opportunities for students
to become involved with this social justice issue, Marietta College 18 student volunteers
hosted its first ever Hunger and Homelessness Week. 6 community volunteers
51 total student hours
Hunger and Homelessness Week was a weeklong series of events 30 total volunteer hours
created to spread awareness about hunger and homelessness in the 70 meals served to community members
surrounding communities. The Office of Civic supported a variety of Empty Bowls Luncheon Fundraiser
student organizations during Hunger and Homelessness Week. After
presenting the organizations with list of potential programs, the Office 39 student volunteers
of Civic Engagement guided them in their collaborations on projects 78 total volunteer hours
that ultimately positively impact the both the student and community 3,250 dollars fundraised
partner. Events with the largest community-based response included, a
local panel discussion and question/answer session with food insecurity Campus Sleep Out
nonprofit leaders; a free community meal where students were the 20 student participants
chefs, servers and volunteers; and the Empty Bowls luncheon 3 faculty/staff participants
fundraiser event to support the Marietta Community Food Pantry.
Overall, the community benefited from the over 70 free meals that Faces of Homelessness Panel
were served and from the support of the Empty Bowls program, which
15 student participants
raised over $3,000 this year.
3 community speakers
CAMPUS IMPACT
Three of the primary goals for the Office of Civic Engagement are
increasing student engagement within the community, raising the About Ohio Campus Compact
number of student leadership positions, and promoting dialogue about AmeriCorps*VISTA
social justice issues. Hunger and Homelessness Week accomplished
these goals by allowing students to create their own projects while Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide nonprofit
learning from community partners about the important issues in the coalition of colleges and university presidents and
community. Students, faculty and staff across campus participated in their campuses working to promote the civic
various events, a Hunger Banquet that simulated global poverty and purposes of higher education. Ohio Campus
food disparities, a Fast where students did not eat for 24 hours, and a Compact provides resources, services &
Campus Sleep Out on the amphitheater on one of the coldest days of partnerships to help Ohio campuses deepen their
ability to educate students for civic and social
the year. One of the students commented that the 24 hour fast
responsibility and to improve community life.
reminded her that “many people in the world are much hungrier than I
could ever imagine.” Another student commented, “We can end our AmeriCorps*VISTA is the national service program
fast and eat here, but people who are homeless often don't even know designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as
where their next meal is coming from.” Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and
incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of
KEEPING THE PARTNERSHIP STRONG: OPPORTUNITIES FOR programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front
THE FUTURE lines in the fight against poverty in America for
more than 40 years.
The Office of Civic Engagement hopes to build on last year’s Hunger
and Homelessness Week programs. With brand new partnerships The Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*
(including Daily Bread Kitchen, Good Works and the Mid-Ohio Valley VISTA Program places and supports VISTAs who
Fellowship Home), the Hunger and Homelessness Week program will create and expand programs designed to bring
be challenged to create new student-led projects. This will create new individuals and communities out of poverty. VISTAs
opportunities for community engagement and sustained dialogue about serve in the poorest areas of their communities to
food insecurity in our region. tackle poverty-related problems such as hunger and
homelessness, financial literacy, veteran student
services, public health and college access. More
information at: www.ohiocampuscompact.org