Students Volunteer During Annual CURTIS Week
Participants honor SHU founder as they work alongside Bridgeport nonprofit groups
Sacred Heart University students have put the community and its needs before their own by participating in SHU’s annual CURTIS Week in early January, volunteering throughout Bridgeport in honor of the University’s founder, Bishop Walter W. Curtis.
CURTIS Week―or Community Understanding and Reflection Through Inner-City Service Week―introduces students to urban issues of poverty, racism and immigration up close as they engage with and immerse themselves in the local community. The weeklong effort hosted by the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning (VPSL) and the Office of Campus Ministry is a true representation of SHU’s commitment to being a good neighbor.
Participants have worked with SHU’s nonprofit and school-based partners, including Wilbur Cross School, Hall Neighborhood House, Thomas Merton Center, Nourish Bridgeport and Connecticut Foodshare. They have volunteered at city sites in the morning and afternoon, and then spent the evening with the University’s interfaith chaplains, taking part in and observing Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant practices. Evening reflections with their peers have enabled students to develop an understanding of the connection between faith and service. All grade levels, including SHU graduate students, were welcome to participate.
CURTIS Week has taken place for more than 20 years, providing opportunities for students to not only earn service hours, but also to learn from diverse perspectives, develop intercultural competency and learn about the local community’s needs and its hidden beauty. “It was truly eye-opening to visit partner organizations and see how much our help means to other people. I loved interacting with others and bringing light and joy to their faces by providing them with the basic needs they all deserve,” said junior Sana Mohammad.
“My experience with CURTIS Week has been amazing. My favorite part was being able to meet new people and communicate with them while learning new skills,” said freshman Jacqueline Sandoval.
Annie Wendel, VPSL director, said her favorite part of CURTIS Week was “hearing from students after they engage with community members at the various service sites and during interfaith visits. Listening to them reflect on the new relationships formed and moving from an us-versus-them mentality to a shared humanity is a direct representation of the University’s mission,” she said.
Students who were unable to participate may contact the VPSL office to learn how they can volunteer throughout the academic year.
Pictured above: During CURTIS Week, SHU students learn how to prepare a meal from donated food at Nourish Bridgeport.