B-W: More Opportunities

OCO Expo

The OCO Expo is an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to learn about the many service programs offered by OCO simply by stopping by the Union during Community Hour and speaking to our student leaders. The Spring Expo took place on February 9, 2012.

OCO Super Saturdays

Students looking for something to do on a Saturday can spend a few hours serving at a local organization. Our February 11th project with Aristocrat Berea Nursing Home is now full. Check back soon for information on our March 24th project.

Special Projects

Coordinated by students on our Special Projects Team, these service events/programs enable B-W community members to serve on a one-time basis without a large time commitment.

Saturday of Service

Every fall, the Office of Community Outreach holds a campus-wide service day in conjunction with organizations in Berea and the Greater Cleveland area. Students, faculty and staff come together to serve with a number of different organizations. B-W community members contributed over 300 hours of service to local organization on Saturday of Service 2011.

Gift Drive

Each winter, the Office of Community Outreach collaborates with local organizations to provide gifts for children and families in need. B-W students, faculty and staff fulfilled two hundred gift requests in November of 2011 through partnerships with B-W STAND and the Lost Boys, St. Malachi Center, Goodrich-Gannett Neighborhood Center, and West Side Catholic Center Shelter.

MLK Day of Learning

OCO celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by inviting fourth graders from Berea City Schools to participate in a day of educational activities at B-W. Reading, art and music activities related to Dr. King's life are facilitated by B-W students, faculty and staff.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

A week of education and service, Hunger and Homelessness brings social justice issues to campus. Past Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week activities have included a "Hoops for Hunger" basketball tournament and food drive, shed building with Habitat for Humanity, a 24-hour famine, "Empty Bowls" and the "Sleepout for Homelessness".

B-W Spring Service Day

Similar to Saturday of Service, B-W Spring Service Day is a large event involving B-W students, faculty and staff in service to a number of organizations in the community. We were pleased to also include alumni in this event last year by partnering with the Chicago and New York Alumni Chapters to sponsor service projects in their cities. The next B-W Spring Service Day is slated for April 14, 2012.

Leave It Behind

OCO collects and donates gently used clothing and non-perishable food from students as they leave campus at the end of the year. This reduces waste and provides much needed items for local organizations. Look for Leave It Behind collection boxes in your residence hall and the Union during the last few weeks of school!

Alternative Break Program

Alternative Break trips are great opportunities for students to serve during Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring and Summer break. Check here to learn more about the program.

Project Affinity Summer Service Program

Project Affinity is an urban summer service program coordinated by the Office of Community Outreach. Students live together at the Archwood House, a B-W owned facility in Cleveland's Brooklyn Centre neighborhood. Through service and community events, students are able to explore social justice issues, develop a direct relationship with individuals in Brooklyn Centre and the greater Cleveland community, and gain an understanding of non-profit work.

Discover Cleveland

"Discover Cleveland" is a program that provides an opportunity for new students to learn more about community service, Cleveland, and OCO's community partners. B-W is just 20 minutes from Cleveland, a city with a lot to offer, but a lot of needs as well. What better way for our students to get to know their new community than through a service immersion experience? The program occurs before the start of classes and B-W's Weekend of Welcome.