1. Engaging campuses in service to the community
Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Impact Report: Heidelberg University
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 AND BACKGROUND Poverty Alleviation Focus Area: Food Insecurity, Housing
Northwest Ohio has been hit especially hard and College Access
by the recession and continues to lead much of the VISTA Corps member: Stephanie Gross
state in federal aid and unemployment. A growing pool 419-448-2245 sgross@heidelberg.edu
of underemployed has been formed by job cuts in the Site Supervisor: Paul Sittason Stark
manufacturing sector, as seen here in Seneca County. 419-448-2245 pstark@heidelberg.edu
As of May 2011, the unemployment rate in Seneca Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Sr. Program Director:
County was 9.2%. And in 2009,
11,244,466 federal Lesha Farias (740) 587-8571 • lesha.farias@gmail.com
dollars were distributed in Seneca County for Food www.ohiocampuscompact.org
Assistance, supporting 11,267 residents. Based upon
the 2010 Federal Census, 6,775 individuals living in
Seneca County were living below the poverty level,
with an estimated 2,263 of these individuals being
under the age of 18.
With these growing numbers, supporting
community action and engagement initiatives is of vital
importance. AmeriCorps VISTA members, working
through Ohio Campus Compact, help to bridge
resources on Ohio’s college campuses to the needs of
individual communities. Members of the Heidelberg
Community, many of which are Seneca County
residents, have always shown a commitment to
service. In this past year, (2010-2011), AmeriCorps
VISTA Stephanie Gross has helped to grow this
commitment to service by creating new service
initiatives, and offering support to existing programs.
Through supporting service learning, 500+ Heidelberg community members
reinvigorating and creating new day of service events, participated in Day of Service events in 2010-2011,
and supporting student organizations’ commitment to supporting more than 30 Seneca County agencies,
service, the AmeriCorps VISTA program has programs, and businesses. Starting with
revitalized a culture of service at Heidelberg. This ‘Bergserve, these one-time service events expose
growing culture will continue to affect the community students to the service opportunities in Seneca
of Tiffin, as the list of community partners expands, County and help to build lasting partnerships
and the bond between Heidelberg and the Seneca between campus and community.
County community grows stronger.

2. COMMUNITY IMPACT
The service initiatives that have been supported and created by the The VISTA Impact
AmeriCorps VISTA program at Heidelberg have and will have a lasting by the numbers:
effect on the Seneca County Community. With 42 community partners
in Seneca County, Heidelberg’s commitment to service, whether Service Learning
through student organization group service, course organized service
projects, or individual service, will continue to grow. Total Participants: 36
The following are examples of the impact that Heidelberg service
initiatives have had on community programs and events: Total Service Sites: 27
- Impactful partnerships with the following agencies:
- The Spiva-Manley House and the Tiffin Historic Trust Total number of hours served:
- Tiffin-Seneca United Way 1,440
- Seneca County Family and Children First Council
- Tiffin Franciscans and the Earth Literacy Center Day of Service Events
- The Morrison House Transitional Facility
- Bloomville Food Pantry Total Participants: 518
(In 2010-2011 Heidelberg’s partnership with these 6 agencies led to 908
hours of service) Hours of service: 7.5 hours
- Support of Community Events:
- The Day of Caring Total Hours of service to community:
- From the Heart Food Drive 3,385
- Tiffin Heritage Festival
- Tiffin Family Festival
*Total value of service: $84,243.60
CAMPUS IMPACT
Through the Honors Service Learning Program, students are able to gain
*One hour=$21.36 (Independent Sector, 2010)
experience working outside of the classroom, develop professionally,
and network with community members, all while giving back to the
community.
While service learning began as a course requirement, it
became for me an extraordinary example of how a few hours a
About Ohio Campus Compact
week can make such an impact. It taught me that every change AmeriCorps*VISTA
begins with a first step. –Kate Loar, ‘11
*Value of $100,797.84
Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide nonprofit
Volunteer Hours: and university presidents and
coalition of colleges
Through campus-wide service events, students are able to connect with
their campuses working to promote the civic
the community on a deeper level, ultimately leading to a more
purposes of higher education. Ohio Campus
meaningful experience at Heidelberg. *One Hour = $21.36 resources, services & 2010)
Compact provides (Independent Sector,
For the MLK Service day, I served with the group that worked at partnerships to help Ohio campuses deepen their
the Morrison house. It was such an enthralling experience, ability to educate students for civic and social
knowing that I was a part of working on a project that would responsibility and to improve community life.
soon be opened to help homeless and needy families from the
community. I can’t wait to go back to the Morrison house to see AmeriCorps*VISTA is the national service program
the end results! – Deana Shook, class of 2014
designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as
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.
VISTAs have continuously strengthened the framework at Ohio
universities for building mutually beneficial campus and community
The Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*
partnerships. The partnerships created in Tiffin will continue to flourish VISTA Program places and supports VISTAs who
as the number of on and off campus stakeholders increases. Continuing create and expand programs designed to bring
this work effectively means engaging students, faculty and community individuals and communities out of poverty. VISTAs
partners in frequent communication; increasing awareness of Tiffin’s serve in the poorest areas of their communities to
needs within the Heidelberg community, and continually assessing the tackle poverty-related problems such as hunger and
value of service programs at Heidelberg. In the future, expanding service homelessness, financial literacy, veteran student
further into the classroom will have a greater impact on the Seneca services, public health and college access. More
County community, and will bring more meaning to the Heidelberg information at: www.ohiocampuscompact.org
experience for each student.