Students help spruce up Winona

Pulling weeds at Madison School are from left: front, Kelsey Brekke, Dan Streefland; back, DeShanda Morley, Maggie Lynch and Rhea Fosco.

In recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day,” Saint Mary’s University Volunteer Services organized a group of student volunteers to help out Winona non-profit agencies. Workers helped with spring cleaning, yard work, painting, sorting clothes and a variety of other tasks. Approximately 175 Saint Mary’s students teamed up throughout the afternoon. Sixty-one individuals and organizations – including area schools, The Salvation Army, St. Anne Hospice and the Catholic Worker House – were assisted.

Saint Mary’s invites nonprofits to submit ‘to-do’ lists for ‘Spruce up Winona Day’

WINONA, Minn. — In recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day,” Saint Mary’s University’s Volunteer Services group is inviting Winona nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service.

Do you need someone to help with your spring cleaning, to rake leaves, to do some painting, or to help with construction? Approximately 125 Saint Mary’s University students will be teamed up from 1 to 5 p.m. to help groups and organizations on Thursday, April 22, in recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day.”

Saint Mary’s will supply the workers, if you supply the materials needed (paint, brushes, rakes, tools, etc.).

To register your request, please call Molly Jewison at (507) 457-1643 or e-mail volunteerservices@smumn.edu.

Saint Mary’s invites nonprofits to submit ‘to-do’ lists for ‘Make a Difference Day’

In recognition of national “Make a Difference Day,” Saint Mary’s University’s Volunteer Services group is inviting Winona nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service.

Do you need someone to help with your fall cleaning, to rake leaves, to do some painting, or to help with construction? Approximately 150 Saint Mary’s University students will be teamed up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help groups and organizations on Saturday, Oct. 24, in recognition of “Make a Difference Day.”

Saint Mary’s will supply the workers, if you supply the materials needed (paint, brushes, rakes, tools, etc.).

“Make a Difference Day” is the most encompassing national day of helping others, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA WEEKEND magazine, this annual event takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. SMU is proud to join the millions of people throughout the nation who are participating.

To register your request, please call Katie LaPlant at (507) 457-6936 or e-mail volunteerservices @smumn.edu by Friday, Oct. 16.

Saint Mary’s invites nonprofits to submit ‘to-do’ lists for ‘Spruce up Winona Day’

WINONA, Minn. — In recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day,” Saint Mary’s University’s Volunteer Services group is inviting Winona nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service.

Do you need someone to help with your spring cleaning, to rake leaves, to do some painting, or to help with construction? Approximately 125 Saint Mary’s University students will be teamed up from 1 to 5 p.m. to help groups and organizations on Thursday, April 23, in recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day.”

Saint Mary’s will supply the workers, if you supply the materials needed (paint, brushes, rakes, tools, etc.).

To register your request, please call Katie LaPlant at (507) 457-6936 or e-mail volunteerservices @smumn.edu.

NCAA honors SMU athletes for volunteer flood work

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University is one of three schools to receive this year’s National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators awards honoring community-service projects and activities.

Saint Mary’s athletes were recognized for their efforts to aid flood victims in Minnesota.

SMU, along with York College of Pennsylvania and Stevens Institute of Technology each will receive $1,000 contributions to their general scholarship funds as recipients of NADIIIAA/Jostens Community Service Awards for projects during the 2007-08 academic year.

Ten other institutions also earned recognition in the program, which has honored Division III athletics programs’ community-service efforts annually since 2002. All of the institutions will be recognized during January by NADIIIAA at the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.

Saint Mary’s is a category winner for the first time as this year’s honoree for a one-time project or activity. SMU student-athletes returned to campus from summer vacation in August 2007 to find that the university’s field house was serving as an emergency shelter for victims of flooding in southeastern Minnesota. The Saint Mary’s student-athlete advisory committee, which already had begun planning an event designed to increase camaraderie among the school’s athletics teams, shifted efforts to aiding the flood victims.

In collaboration with Volunteer Services, nearly 200 student-athletes and their coaches collected food and water for flood-relief volunteers, and many of those student-athletes fanned out to nearby communities to clean up and repair homes and to help restore a state park. The student-athletes were credited by a relief worker with saving homeowners weeks of clean-up work while demonstrating compassion for flood victims.

To read more about SMU athletes’ flood-relief efforts, go to www.smumn.edu/floodcleanup.

The awards are presented in cooperation with the program’s exclusive sponsor, Jostens Inc. of Minneapolis, whose products include yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, school photography, and employee and achievement awards.

113 Saint Mary’s students volunteer locally for ‘Make a Difference Day’

Chris Stanish moves building materials to help out a Minnesota City family during Make a Difference Day Saturay, Oct. 25.

Saint Mary’s University students Sara Clements and Tim Wojcicki raked leaves at a Minnesota City residence as part of the annual Make a Difference Day.

WINONA, Minn. — In recognition of national “Make a Difference Day,” 113 Saint Mary’s University students volunteered their time on Saturday, Oct. 25, throughout Winona and the surrounding area. Students raked leaves, painted, stacked lumber, cleaned sheds and assisted individuals and organizations in numerous other ways.

Volunteers helped at St. Anne Hospice, the Catholic Worker Home, Valleyview Towers, Living Light Church, Winona Arms, the Winona Family Community Center, all three grocery stores (with the 10 Days of Giving), Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Saint Mary’s Parish, and individual homes of seniors, as well as homes affected by flooding in the Minnesota City area.

“Make a Difference Day” is the most encompassing national day of helping others, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA WEEKEND magazine, this annual event takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. SMU is proud to join the millions of people throughout the nation who participated.

Saint Mary’s invites nonprofits to submit ‘to-do’ lists for ‘Make a Difference Day’

WINONA, Minn. — In recognition of national “Make a Difference Day,” Saint Mary’s University’s Volunteer Services group is inviting Winona nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service.

Do you need someone to help with your fall cleaning, to rake leaves, to do some painting, or to help with construction? Approximately 150 Saint Mary’s University students will be teamed up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help groups and organizations on Saturday, Oct. 25, in recognition of “Make a Difference Day.”

Saint Mary’s will supply the workers, if you supply the materials needed (paint, brushes, rakes, tools, etc.).

“Make a Difference Day” is the most encompassing national day of helping others, a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Created by USA WEEKEND magazine, this annual event takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. SMU is proud to join the millions of people throughout the nation who are participating.

To register your request, please call Katie LaPlant at (507) 457-6936 or e-mail volunteerservices @smumn.edu.

SMU students stuff backpacks for 'Ready to Learn'

Saint Mary’s University students, from left, Lori Brunner, Dulcie Basile, Sarah Groebner, and Alex Wieck stuffed more than 200 "Ready to Learn backpacks" with early learning activities for Winona’s 3- to 5-year-olds. The backpacks are given to children when they attend Early Childhood Screening, a requirement for all preschool-aged children before they attend kindergarten. The "Ready to Learn" project is coordinated by the Winona Early Childhood Initiative, in partnership with Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and grant funding from the Winona Community Foundation. Through the Early Childhood Initiative we are helping to identify and promote early childhood education and care opportunities for children (from birth to age 5) and create local strategies that fill in any gaps. For more information, contact Jenni McHugh at 494-0812, Lezlea Dahlke at ldahlke@selco.info or visit www.smifoundation.org.