1. Engaging campuses in service to the community.
Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Impact Report: Notre Dame 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.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND Poverty Alleviation Focus Area: Food Insecurity
Since Notre Dame’s founding in the 1920s, For more information contact:
service has been a vital part of the College. VISTA Corps member: Jesi Stewart
The mission makes this clear; Notre Dame College, a (216) 373-6375 • jstewart@ndc.edu
Catholic institution in the tradition of the Sisters of Site Supervisor: Anthony Camino
Notre Dame, educates a diverse population in the (216) 373-5387 • acamino@ndc.edu
liberal arts for personal, professional, and global Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Sr. Program Director:
responsibility. Notre Dame College has a long history Lesha Farias (740) 587-8571 • lesha.farias@gmail.com
of volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. www.ohiocampuscompact.org
Notre Dame College has strived to be a caring and
compassionate presence in the Cleveland community,
because according to the Cleveland Food Bank, in 2009,
one in nine people have turned to local hunger centers
in the Bank’s six county area that includes Cuyahoga
county and Notre Dame. With these troubling
statistics, the College makes great efforts to assist the
community with food insecurity related issues.
“At Notre Dame College, we not only prepare our students
to earn a living, we help them learn how to live a life.”
–Dr. Andrew Roth, President, Notre Dame College
CAMPUS IMPACT
Currently, the culture of service on the campus is
largely fostered by the AmeriCorps VISTA and
FalconCorps in the Campus Ministry office.
FalconCorps, the service organization offers monthly
service opportunities with the Heights Emergency Food
Center and the Cleveland Food Bank. To assist with the
hunger situation in the community, the students Thanks to help from the communities of South
visited the Heights Emergency Food Center Euclid and Lyndhurst, Notre Dame was able to
six times and volunteered a total of 72 double the amount of food donated to the
Heights Emergency Food Center. The food
hours. FalconCorps was able to increase
donated by Notre Dame helps families and
volunteer participation with the Cleveland
individuals in Cleveland Heights, University
Food Bank from visiting six times and
Heights, South Euclid and Lyndhurst. Photo:
volunteering a total 46 hours last year to
nationalservice.gov
visiting seven times totaling of 66 hours this
year.

2. During the first weekend for incoming freshman in August, the
The VISTA Impact
College participated in a large scale service project. Participants by the numbers:
canvassed the streets of South Euclid and Lyndhurst, Ohio collecting
food for the Heights Emergency Food Center, the local food pantry.
All food donated to the pantry benefited people of Cleveland Heights, Hours
of
Service
80
University Heights, South Euclid and Lyndhurst. 450 incoming
freshman and 50 student and staff leaders participated 60
in a community wide food collection donating 1,800 2009-­‐2 010
hours. Close to 5,000 lbs of food was collected for the 40
2010-­‐2 011
pantry from residents in South Euclid and Lyndhurst. 20
In April, Notre Dame hosted the first Poverty Awareness Week on 0
campus. The week’s events included a clothing and food collection. HEFC CFB
This time, students canvassed the campus dormitories for clothing
and food. Students, faculty, and staff donated ten large garbage bags of
clothing and close to 100lb of food. The clothing was donated to City
Mission and the food was donated again to the Heights Emergency Pounds
of
Food
Collected
Food Center. 6,000
5,000
These events illustrate to the campus and community that community
4,000
service and global awareness and responsibility is the cornerstone of 2009-­‐2 010
the College. These service opportunities not only made this clear to 3,000
2010-­‐2 011
the students, they made it evident to the residents that the College 2,000
has the power to impact and make change.
1,000
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE 0
The support that the campus and community offers to FalconCorps is
their
largest and greatest strength. Notre Dame understands how
important service is in the community. They believe service should be About Ohio Campus Compact
a part of each student’s stay at the college. Also, many organizations AmeriCorps*VISTA
in the community would find work difficult without the assistance
from Notre Dame. In addition to their support, FalconCorps’ other Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide nonprofit
strength is the passionate students at Notre Dame. coalition of colleges and university presidents and
their campuses working to promote the civic
With their strengths, FalconCorps does have challenges and purposes of higher education. Ohio Campus
weaknesses especially with student involvement. FalconCorps Compact provides resources, services &
currently has a core group of students that are involved with the partnerships to help Ohio campuses deepen their
service opportunities. In efforts to expand, FalconCorps have faced ability to educate students for civic and social
many difficulties. Many students on the campus are overcommitted to responsibility and to improve community life.
other organizations which make it a challenge to commit to service.
Opportunities for the future include a chance for Notre Dame to AmeriCorps*VISTA is the national service program
foster enrollment of students that have a passion for campus activities designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as
and involvement. Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and
incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of
programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front
In addition to fostering student involvement, Notre Dame should
lines in the fight against poverty in America for
consider adding a service office on campus. Since service is such an
more than 40 years.
important part to Notre Dame’s mission; the College should have a
center for service where FalconCorps can grow into something The Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*
greater and stronger. Notre Dame needs to take steps to sustain the VISTA Program places and supports VISTAs who
service by hiring a full-time staff member or a graduate assistant. By create and expand programs designed to bring
employing a full-time staff member, the College would be able to individuals and communities out of poverty. VISTAs
maintain current community relationships that otherwise would be serve in the poorest areas of their communities to
strained by bring in a new employee every year. These advancements tackle poverty-related problems such as hunger and
are challenged and threaten by financial constraints. With these homelessness, financial literacy, veteran student
improvements, FalconCorps has the capability to become a vital services, public health and college access. More
resource at Notre Dame and in the community. information at: www.ohiocampuscompact.org