2008 Woodie Awards
"Welcome to the Neighborhood" festivities reach out to the community
Yazid Al-Fayyad
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: News
A large-scale collaborative community outreach effort took place Wednesday in hopes of better connecting with citizens of Greenville and off-campus students.
The event, "Welcome to the Neighborhood," took place between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Volunteers and organizers sectioned off the city of Greenville into pieces, devoting their efforts to speaking with as many apartment and housing properties as they could manage.
Among the organizations involved in the outreach were the Greenville and ECU Police Departments, the Dean of Students, Greek Life, the Student Government Association, Student Legal and Greenville's Impact Unit.
"We're welcoming students and non-students to the community, [and] we also have the [support] of the city of Greenville with us today," said student assistant Brad Teasley.
Liaisons from the local neighborhood communities were invited to participate in the program as a way to connect with their student neighbors.
Volunteers traveled with Safe Ride, a division of ECU Transit, or with one of the many local police officers who offered their time for the program.
Among the contents of the goody bag delivered to residents were lists of contact information for major services provided in Greenville, safety information for living off campus and pamphlets to educate students on the emergency text message program.
"I think it is important for students to get informed on the city of Greenville because it is the city in which they live," said Lucia Brannon, interim coordinator for off-campus services.
The event this year covered a large portion of neighborhoods stretching from Fifth Street to River Drive and from Reade Street to Warren Street.
Brannon described her hopes that next year's program will be more encompassing, attracting students and community members to come to them, in a "one-time gathering."
For Wednesday's program, Brannon met with apartment complex managers, planning educational commuter lunches in order to listen to student needs.
Commuter lunches take place the fourth Wednesday of every month and are accompanied by a keynote speaker on various topics including the issue of signing a lease and general safety concerns living off campus.
"It is student fee money," Brannon said, "and I want to give it back to them."
This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.
The event, "Welcome to the Neighborhood," took place between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Volunteers and organizers sectioned off the city of Greenville into pieces, devoting their efforts to speaking with as many apartment and housing properties as they could manage.
Among the organizations involved in the outreach were the Greenville and ECU Police Departments, the Dean of Students, Greek Life, the Student Government Association, Student Legal and Greenville's Impact Unit.
"We're welcoming students and non-students to the community, [and] we also have the [support] of the city of Greenville with us today," said student assistant Brad Teasley.
Liaisons from the local neighborhood communities were invited to participate in the program as a way to connect with their student neighbors.
Volunteers traveled with Safe Ride, a division of ECU Transit, or with one of the many local police officers who offered their time for the program.
Among the contents of the goody bag delivered to residents were lists of contact information for major services provided in Greenville, safety information for living off campus and pamphlets to educate students on the emergency text message program.
"I think it is important for students to get informed on the city of Greenville because it is the city in which they live," said Lucia Brannon, interim coordinator for off-campus services.
The event this year covered a large portion of neighborhoods stretching from Fifth Street to River Drive and from Reade Street to Warren Street.
Brannon described her hopes that next year's program will be more encompassing, attracting students and community members to come to them, in a "one-time gathering."
For Wednesday's program, Brannon met with apartment complex managers, planning educational commuter lunches in order to listen to student needs.
Commuter lunches take place the fourth Wednesday of every month and are accompanied by a keynote speaker on various topics including the issue of signing a lease and general safety concerns living off campus.
"It is student fee money," Brannon said, "and I want to give it back to them."
This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.
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