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February 17, 2020 | ||
In This Issue: Miami-Dade Interfaith Coalition Tackles Gun Violence, Unnecessary Arrests, and Other Issues Nursing Faculty, Students to Provide Health Screenings in Hollywood on April 4 Sophomore Holly Kachler Remains in Campus Election Engagement Role Barry Representatives Participate in City of Hollywood Event for Black History Month Next Tuesday’s Deliberative Dialogue Focuses on Sex Education in Schools Community Engagement Symposium Set for Last Wednesday of March Organization Looking for Volunteers, Donations for Saturday’s World Social Justice Day Event | ||
Miami-Dade Interfaith Coalition Tackles Gun Violence, Unnecessary Arrests, and Other Issues Barry Hosts PACT Justice Ministry Team Assembly Gun violence, unnecessary arrests, community IDs in relation to immigration, and affordable housing are the key issues currently on the agenda of an interfaith coalition in The coalition named PACT (People Acting for Community Together) met on Barry’s Regarding gun violence, the assembly noted that in Miami-Dade, young people aged 18–24 were “most likely to be affected by gun violence – both as a shooter and as a victim.” The assembly noted further that less than 0.1% of the population was responsible for most of the violence, tied largely to “small, street-level conflicts between groups of young men.” Yet, the assembly observed, “there has been no substantial strategy to intervene in the lives of these group members.” Concerning unnecessary arrests, PACT participants were reminded that “every year, over 26,000 adults in the state of PACT has proposed a “County-approved Community ID,” which, it says, “would greatly improve quality of life for so many people, like immigrants, foster youth, the homeless, seniors, and returning residents (who have just completed prison sentences).” The cost of housing in Miami-Dade “is reaching crisis levels and it is forcing people out,” the PACT Justice Ministry Team Assembly also noted. Four Barry Service Corps Fellows assigned to the Faith in Action team – Javier Bracho Muñoz, Cindy Luc, Lise-Berthe Laurent, and Alexis Toussaint – facilitated activities during the assembly on February 3. Liz James of Barry’s Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) provided supervision. The PACT North Rally will take place next Monday (February 24). The agenda will include updates on issues being addressed by the coalition and reports on preparations for PACT’s Nehemiah Action, which is scheduled for March 16. That event is expected to attract more than 1,500 people, and PACT will ask public officials to make commitments to implementing specific solutions to the identified issues. “Our goal is to have more than 120 people from Barry at the Nehemiah Action,” said the CCSI’s Liz James. “We are asking an increased number of faculty and staff to join students at the event.” PACT is a coalition of 40 congregations – churches, synagogues, and mosques – and two universities representing more than 50,000 people in For more information about PACT activities and how to get involved, contact James at ljames@barry.edu or 305-899-3728. | ||
Nursing Faculty, Students to Provide Health Screenings in on April 4 Nursing faculty and students will provide health screenings and educational activities to the community at the 2020 Health and Wellness Fair in the City of The event is designed to improve the health of the local community while supporting Barry’s core commitment of collaborative service. The Health and Wellness Fair will take place in For further information, contact Dr. Corvette Yacoob, director of the nurse practitioner program in the | ||
Sophomore Holly Kachler Remains in Campus Election Engagement Role Holly Kachler, a sophomore majoring in political science, is remaining in her role as a fellow for the Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP). Monica Matteo-Salinas, the Florida/Georgia director of CEEP, made the announcement earlier this month. CEEP is “a national non-partisan project that helps Throughout the fall semester of 2019, Kachler served as Barry’s CEEP fellow and as a member of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) Committee. CEEP Fellows generally support voter registration, voter education, and voter engagement events. They are required to develop and implement a plan for administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders to assist in registering and engaging students in the election process. | ||
Barry Representatives Participate in City of Black History Month Last Tuesday evening, an adjunct faculty member in Barry’s Clarence V. Walker, Jr. traced African Americans’ “long road to freedom” – from the founding of American democracy through the era of Reconstruction to the present day. He highlighted the challenges black men faced in the late 1800s, after being granted the right to vote; the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote; and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Making a presentation at a Black History Month event in Dr. Glenn Bowen, executive director of Barry’s Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI), introduced Hollywood City Commissioner Richard S. Blattner was in the audience. Also in attendance, representing Barry, were Liz James, experiential learning coordinator; Stephanie Wong, CCSI administrative coordinator; and Dr. Heather Johnson Desiral, project assistant for the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Next Tuesday (February 25), a poetry/spoken word competition will take place at the same venue, with Johnson Desiral as one of the judges. Billed as the 4th Annual Talented 10th Poetry Slam, the competition is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. after an hour-long reception. | ||
Next Tuesday’s Deliberative Dialogue Focuses on Sex Education in Schools The academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series will continue next Tuesday (February 25) with a forum titled “Comprehensive Sex Education in Florida Schools: What Should Be Required?” Scheduled for 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in Andreas 112, the forum will involve students and alumni, faculty and staff, and community members. The CCSI organizes the Deliberative Dialogue Series as an approach to civic learning and engagement in addressing current social issues. Free and open to the public, the series brings together campus and community stakeholders to weigh perspectives on the issues and to work towards practical solutions. For further information, contact CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien at cberrien@barry.edu or 305-899-4017. | ||
Community Engagement Symposium Set for Last Wednesday of March The seventh annual Community Engagement Symposium will be held on the last Wednesday of March. "Engagement in Purposeful Projects: From Awareness to Action” is the theme. | ||
Organization Looking for Volunteers, Donations for Saturday’s World Social Justice Day Event YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade is seeking support for its World Social Justice Day event – a Hygiene Packing Party – this Saturday (February 22). In partnership with The Beauty Initiative, YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade will host the event at which donated items will be packed in support of the Help. Her. Period Campaign. The event organizers welcome donations of the following items: bar soap, body wash, combs and brushes, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, razors, shampoo, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.
The Beauty Initiative, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that caters to women and girls in need. Its inaugural initiative, Help. Her. Period, provides free menstrual necessities mainly to women who are experiencing homelessness or financial hardship. Girls in schools that do not provide feminine hygiene supplies also benefit from the initiative. Established in 1919, YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade, Inc. is committed to eliminating racism and empowering women. According to information at its website, “YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade, Inc. is the leading voice for women and girls in |
Community Engagement News
Posted On : February 17, 2020