CARE - Community Service Organization

CHARITY, ACTION, RESPONSIBILITY, EDUCATION

CARE is a student led service organization where students gain leadership experience through designing, organizing and facilitating service projects or participating in projects organized by others. Opportunities vary in length from a few hours to week-long trips. Anyone can get involved! CARE meets on an as-needed basis to coordinate events, and announces opportunities nearly every week. If you are interested in being involved in planning and coordinating, you are encouraged to come to the first meeting, which is held during the first few weeks of school. If you aren't ready for a leadership role yet, you can get involved by participating in the many events that are announced on Wednesdays and on the CARE bulletin board in Pendleton Hall.

Many CARE events are spur-of-the-moment: a student sees a need and coordinates people to help, such as with packing supplies for Hurricane Katrina victims, or singing for Bryn Athyn Church Contemporary Service. Other events occur annually and are coordinated far in advance.

Trick-or-Charity happens on Halloween, and instead of collecting candy, students collect non-perishable food for donation to food shelters. (Actually, we dress up, have fun, and usually get a little candy in addition to the wealth of canned goods.)

CARE works with HELP Philadelphia, an organization that seeks to provide fun and educational events for inner city children of single parents. Throughout the school year CARE volunteers plan numerous events for HELP Philadelphia kids. On Service Day they take kids on a field trip. In the Fall they host a Halloween party and coordinate an educational day at Glencairn. In the Winter they take the kids to the tableaux at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral and plan an ice skating party. The Spring activity is usually an out-of-doors field trip. These events are announced before they happen and only last about half a day.

Service Trips

What comes to mind for most people when thinking of CARE are the service trips. Last year CARE sent groups to Kempton (Pennsylvania), Mississippi, and the Dominican Republic. Students painted, gardened, cleaned, and worked to restore order in hurricane-devastated areas of Mississippi and Florida. In the 2007-2008 school year there are planned trips to Concord (Massachusetts), Perlington (Mississippi), and Northern Florida. Service trips aren't just work, students also get time to experience the culture and take in the sights wherever they go.

In past years service trips have: offered hurricane relief in the Bahamas, Mississippi, and Florida; run camps and youth activities; painted, cleaned, rebuilt, scoured, and otherwise improved churches and low-income homes; and much more. Two or three service trips happen each year, usually during Fall and Spring breaks. For more information about this year's trips, contact one of the 2007-2008 CARE co-presidents. To suggest locations or projects for future CARE service trips, contact the faculty advisor, Brian Schnarr.

Contact Information:

The 2007-2008 co-presidents are Elaine Knight and Jace Odhner. Student leaders also serve as coordinators of service trips, the HELP Philadelphia liason, and a representative on Student Government. We also have many other leaders who are coordinating individual activities, but there is always room for more volunteers both for individual events and in leadership positions. Please contact a CARE leader for more information.

Student Leaders
    Elaine Knight, CARE Co-President
    Jace Odhner, CARE Co-President
    Genta Junge, HELP Philadelphia Coordinator
    Nils Echols, Student Government Representative

Service Trip Coordinators

Mississippi Service Trip
Kristin Coffin, Elaine Knight, Erik Lexie, Jace Odhner

Boston New Church Society Service Trip
Dallas Hendricks, Jace Odhner, Taryn Rose

Student Leaders 2007-2008 (PDF)

Faculty Advisor
    Brian Schnarr
    267-502-2789
    brian.schnarr@brynathyn.edu