The Summit Experience May 2, 2012

List what you accomplished through your service project on your blog and reflect on how you changed as a leader/person through your summit experience. 

Living in summit and doing our project has been an eye opening experience for me this year. I never thought I would enjoy living in a house with seven other girls, I never thought I would enjoying going to walk dogs and pick up their poop at eight in the morning, and I never thought I would be able to grow as a person from both of those. Our group has really been able to accomplish a lot in a year. We planned and executed a very successful fundraiser, raising over $200 for C.A.R.E, we collectively volunteered over 150 hours, and we have been able to watch dog after dog come into the shelter as helpless creatures and get placed into amazing homes in the end. On Sunday the 6^th we will be participating in our first mobile adoption at PetSmart. It is an all weekend long adoptathon for the dogs and cats at C.A.R.E.  When we first started volunteering at the shelter, it was hard to see how we were helping and if we were really making a difference. As this year has wrapped up and I have really taken a big picture look at what we have done, I can see that we really did make a difference. Those dogs have to be walked, they need love and attention, C.A.R.E needs money, and we were able to give all of that with our time and support. This year turned out being a lot more successful than I thought it could be.

I have changed as a person and as a leader by being in Summit. Living with a bunch of girls is not easy. We have conflicts, we have communication difficulties, and we have hardships in our personal lives that cause us to break. However, living with these girls has been one of the best experiences I have had because of those reasons. I have learned how to approach and manage conflict, I have learned how to better communicate with different personality types, and better yet, I have developed even closer friendships with all of these girls through our hardships because we have been able to help each other though each and every one of them.

I have also learned to be a leader though Summit. Every person in my group has had the opportunity to step up and be a leader in different aspects of the class, the project, and daily activities and chores. We all have different skill sets, so each of us has been able to thrive in different areas this year. I feel that I have become more of a productive leader. I feel as though I can take charge of situations when need be without being afraid of what others might think. Honesty and patience have been key characteristics we have each had to develop in order to become the leaders we are. Leaders need to be honest with their group, and the group has to be honest back. A leader must also be patient with their group, and the same in return. I never would have thought that I would change so much as a person, a leader, and a community member though the experiences this project and the Summit class, but I did and I am so happy I was given that opportunity. ~Carolyn

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Living in Summit Park has had a significant impact on my college experience. Not only have I learned what it takes to run a non-profit, but I have strengthened many personal qualities about myself. Our summit project has forced every member of our group to communicate and work together. I quickly found that even though we are all friends, it was still difficult to find a time when we could all sit down and work on our projects.

Even though I felt frustration at times, I feel an amazing sense of accomplishment now that we have completed the year-long project. Knowing that we have helped C.A.R.E. all year is an amazing feeling. I have gained a new appreciation for everyone involved in a non-profit because it takes everyone working as a team. I will be able to apply this to everything I do for the rest of my life. -Sheila

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Through working with C.A.R.E. this year, our group has had several accomplishments. Each of us has volunteered well over 15 hours each semester plus we organized a very successful fundraiser in the fall where we raised over $200 for the shelter. Along with the progress we made at C.A.R.E. we also grew as individuals by not only working together in a group but also living together. Our accomplishments go well beyond the obvious volunteer hours and fundraising efforts. We have each grown to become more well rounded leaders by learning more effective communication skills as well as learning the importance of patience. We also gained a new respect for volunteers and learned the significance of volunteers in a non-profit organization. For most non-profits like C.A.R.E., they could not survive without the help of volunteers.

Every Thursday, Carolyn and I are at C.A.R.E. at 8:00am. We start by walking the dogs, then we clean cages, and help clean the facility by completing tasks like, sweeping, moping, and doing dishes. These tasks may seem little but it truly makes a difference in the lives of these loving animals that are looking for their forever homes.

The Summit Park Leadership experience has allowed me the opportunity to become a better leader as well as gain a new love for animals. Volunteering with C.A.R.E. has definitely made me more aware of animal abuse and euthanasia. I will continue my volunteer efforts in the summer and hope to continue to make a difference. -Brooke

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I have really enjoyed both living in Summit and volunteering at CARE this year. I was shocked that I enjoyed it as much as I did. I had heard the stories that living with your best friends can end disastrously, with friendships ended over silly fights. However, we have not really experienced that this year. Of course, there were the occasional disagreements, but I was greatly impressed by the way our group handled these situations and we are all still great friends. Also, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed going to CARE each week. It was always a great way to break up the monotony of the week, and playing with the animals at the facility was a great stress reliever for me.

Throughout the semester we have accomplished many things both as a group and individually. As a group we have volunteered nearly 150 hours at various events benefitting CARE and at the CARE facility in Springfield. Also, with our fundraiser in the fall semester we raised over $200 to help CARE. All of this work has really been a rewarding experience for all of us.

My time volunteering with CARE has definitely helped me to grow as both a person and a leader. This experience taught me that sometimes it really is just the little things that make the most difference. For instance, I never thought that taking dogs to the bathroom and cleaning their cages would mean so much to someone. However, every time I leave CARE I receive the most heartfelt thank-you from the staff and other volunteers there. This has taught me that no matter how small or unnecessary the task is, it still has to be done and in doing it you are really helping someone out. Also, I don’t think I understood just how rewarding it could be to do something for a being that can’t say thank-you. However, just knowing that they need you is really rewarding. Each week when we go to CARE we walk dogs, take them to the bathroom and then clean their cages. Of course, they cannot actually say thank-you, but the way they just lick your face and that happiness they bring is extremely rewarding. It has taught me that even though they can’t say thank-you, they still need and appreciate your help. My volunteer experience has really helped me to grow as a leader as well. It has taught me the value of doing small tasks to reach towards a larger goal. Also, it has helped me to realize that no matter how small a task is, it is making a difference to someone.

Living in Summit has also helped me to grow more as a person and a leader. While living in Summit I have better learned to how to communicate with people, both when I have a concern with them and in general. Also, it is sometimes not quite perfectly harmonious in our house, so this has helped me to learn how to better deal with conflict in a civil and polite way. It has also taught me that we all have to work together if we want to create a place where we all feel comfortable enough to sit and hang out or do homework; each person must take responsibility for their actions and do their share of the work. My time in Summit has also taught me to be a better leader. I have learned when it is necessary to step up and take charge, and when it is better to just sit back and work together as a group. Also, I have learned better ways of communication, which is a vital aspect of leadership. Overall, my experience both with living in Summit and volunteering with CARE has helped me to grow immensely as a person and a leader and I have really enjoyed both of them. ~Lindsay

Community Issue April 16, 2012

What have you learned about the community issue that is tied to the mission of your community partner? Reflect on how the issue connects/impacts you personally as someone living and learning  in the Springfield.

C.A.R.E.’s mission: Rescue as many adoptable animals from “death row” as we can properly care for. Provide medical treatment to sick or injured stray animals. Combine an aggressive spay/neuter program with a high volume adoption program while providing quality lifetime care for unadopted pets. Network with and provide a rescue service for other shelters, ultimately reducing the kill-rate in Southwest Missouri.

Since volunteering at C.A.R.E, my eyes have really been opened to the issues there are with abandoned, abused, and neglected animals in Springfield. Before volunteering with them, I knew that animal shelters were usually full of dogs and cats, but I wasn’t very familiar about the “death row” process, and how many animals C.A.R.E actually saves from that. The hardworking and dedicated people that help make C.A.R.E happen really do provide the means for these animals to have a quality life. I have seen first hand the amount of care that goes into treating the sick and injured animals. It is crazy to me how malnourished some of the dogs are that I walk in the mornings. The idea that someone could treat an animal like that is beyond me. It is a huge issue all over the area. Thankfully, we have places like C.A.R.E that give them a second chance at life. –Carolyn 

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C.A.R.E.’s mission: Rescue as many adoptable animals from “death row” as we can properly care for. Provide medical treatment to sick or injured stray animals. Combine an aggressive spay/neuter program with a high volume adoption program while providing quality lifetime care for unadopted pets. Network with and provide a rescue service for other shelters, ultimately reducing the kill-rate in Southwest Missouri.

Volunteering at C.A.R.E. has taught me a lot. Before my experience with them, I never really thought about how much work it takes to maintain a safe and effective animal shelter. It takes hardworking, dedicated people to do so. When thinking about my experience with C.A.R.E. and their mission, it is easy to see that they truly follow through with what they want to accomplish.

Euthanizing animals is an unfortunate issue in today’s society. Obviously, one no-kill animal shelter is not able to save every single animal that comes across “death row”, but without C.A.R.E., there would be a lot more empty, animal-free homes in the Springfield area. – Sheila 

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C.A.R.E.’s mission is, “Rescue as many adoptable animals from “death row” as we can properly care for. Provide medical treatment to sick or injured stray animals. Combine an aggressive spay/neuter program with a high volume adoption program while providing quality lifetime care for un-adopted pets. Network with and provide a rescue service for other shelters, ultimately reducing the kill-rate in Southwest Missouri.”

Throughout this experience I have learned a great deal about what C.A.R.E. does and how their efforts impact the Springfield Society. Animal neglect and abuse seems to be a significant problem in Springfield. There are numerous shelters like C.A.R.E. in the local area that try to increase the lives of these helpless animals. Recently, the Springfield Humane Society went 16 straight weeks without euthanizing an animal because of shelters like C.A.R.E. taking these animals. Throughout this process I have learned that the community of Springfield does its best to support organizations like C.A.R.E. This issue affects people in Springfield, including me. Animals are constantly being neglected and abused. As a part of society it is our responsibility to make sure we are the voice for these animals. It is our job to report abuse and neglect to the Humane Society or Animal Control and let them handle the situation as needed.

C.A.R.E. does its part to help the Springfield Community as much as possible and thus it is society’s job to help these animals when they need it the most. There are links on our blog explaining how society can help. Once these animals have been rescued they need supplies and people who are willing to adopt them and love them. –Brooke

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C.A.R.E.’s mission to, “Rescue as many adoptable animals from “death row” as we can properly care for. Provide medical treatment to sick or injured stray animals. Combine an aggressive spay/neuter program with a high volume adoption program while providing quality lifetime care for un-adopted pets. Network with and provide a rescue service for other shelters, ultimately reducing the kill-rate in Southwest Missouri” has really taught me a lot during my time volunteering there. Before we began working with C.A.R.E. I really did not know that Springfield had a stray animal problem. Through my work with C.A.R.E. I now better understand both the problem and the solution. C.A.R.E. plays an integral part in the solution to end the stray animal problem in Springfield, without having to kill hundreds of animals.

Also, while working with C.A.R.E.  I have learned more about myself. Through all my work at the shelter, I really do believe that my opinion on adopting rather than buying has changed. Now that I understand that hundreds of animals sit in cages waiting to be adopted, I think it is more humane to adopt. Also, I now better understand the advantage of no-kill shelters. I have really enjoyed my time volunteering at C.A.R.E.  and I agree with their mission. ~Lindsay 

Conflict Management March 13, 2012

This week’s blog assignment is to write a response to the presentation by Ed Derr, director of counseling services at Drury University. 

I really enjoyed getting to have Ed Derr, the director of counseling services, come speak to our Summit Class. The topic of his presentation was how to manage and approach conflict. One of the high points of the discussion was when we found out what our conflict management style is. Finding your conflict management style helps you to find how you personally manage conflict. The four styles are competing/forcing shark, collaborating owl, avoiding turtle, accommodating teddy bear, and a compromising fox.I came to find that I was a the accommodating teddy bear. Relationships are very important to teddy bears. Their own goals to not matter as long as everyone is relationships are saved. They also like to be accepted and liked, which is why they are so willing to be accommodating when it comes to conflict because then no relationships are lost. I definitely recognize that in myself because I do care about people and their feelings. I would hate to lose a relationship just because of conflict.

I really enjoyed getting to learn a little bit about myself as well as my roommates. Three of the four of us all have a teddy bear conflict style which was really surprising to me. Overall, I thought Ed Derr was a great guest speaker. ~ Carolyn

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When we were told in Summit class that Ed Derr was our speaker, I was immediately interested in what the lecture was going to be about. Ed Derr is the director of counseling services at Drury, and since I’m a psychology minor, I knew that the information he had to present would appeal to me.

He discussed five different types of personalities in reference to conflict management: competing/forcing shark, collaborating owl, avoiding turtle, accommodating teddy bear, and a compromising fox. After completing a conflict management style questionnaire, my score concluded that I am a collaborating owl. A collaborating owl follows the “I win, you win” motto. They believe that teamwork and cooperation help everyone achieve their goals while also maintaining relationships. They live by the philosophy that the process of working through differences will lead to creative solutions that will satisfy both parties’ concerns. I can completely relate to the description of the owl. Not only did the exercise help me better understand my personality, but it helped me to understand my roommates’ as well.

I really enjoyed Ed Derr’s presentation during summit class. Not only did it apply to my interest in psychology, but it taught me something about myself as well. - Sheila 

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Ed Derr, director of counseling services at Drury, spoke to our Summit Class on Friday, February 17th. He was a wonderful guest speaker and gave some helpful advice in dealing with conflict. I think the most helpful activity that Ed did with the class was the, “What’s your Conflict Management Style?” We gave a response to 15 statements that dealt with conflict and rated them on how we would behave in that particular situation. My dominate style was a teddy bear. This means that I put others’ needs in front of mine. I felt this to be very true. I am always worried about others before I focus on myself which can be a bad thing. In addition, Ed had a great power point that helped us all to deal with conflict a little better. This was useful because in our situation we live together, work together, volunteer together, and attend class together. So if someone in the group has a conflict with another, it is vital that it gets solved. I think Ed did a greta job at addressing that. He also gave us a handout called, “9 Healthy Ways to Communicate.” This handout was helpful because most of the things that were listed on the handout I had no idea about. Overall, Ed Derr was a very helpful speaker in teaching conflict resolution. –Brooke

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The February 17^th class was one of my favorite classes of the semester. I think that this is a topic that is important for everyone to learn about because conflict is something that is part of everyone’s daily lives. In order to make good decisions we have to be able to handle conflict, and this class really taught me a lot.

My favorite part of the presentation was determining the type of conflict style that I am. I am an accommodating teddy bear, which actually makes sense. Most of the time I would much rather try to fix the problem and accommodate everyone to avoid the conflict than confront the person on an individual basis. My back-up style is compromising fox and avoiding turtle. Although I am trying to be better at dealing with conflict, I think that sometimes I fall into these styles more than I would like.

I think that my greatest communication strength is that I am able to keep a level head in situations that can be uncomfortable. However, I think that my greatest communication weakness is that I am sometimes too weak to say things that need to be said. For instance, in my role as president I am sometimes put in situations that are uncomfortable for me to handle. It is in times like this that I find my weakest communication skills.

In order to better my communication skills and become a better leader I think I need to be surer of myself and my decisions. If I am confident with the decision that I am making, then I think I will be better able to communicate people and resolve the conflict. Also, if I am surer of myself I think I will be able to make better decisions overall. In addition, I would like to become better at not being so apt to avoid conflict, and just confront it head on. I think that this would definitely help me to become a better leader as well. ~Lindsay 

Reflection February 3, 2012

Website: www.carerescue.org

C.A.R.E.’s Mission: Rescue as many adoptable animals from “death row” as we can properly care for. Provide medical treatment to sick or injured stray animals. Combine an aggressive spay/neuter program with a high volume adoption program while providing quality lifetime care for unadopted pets. Network with and provide a rescue service for other shelters, ultimately reducing the kill-rate in Southwest Missouri.

 How others can help:

Donate: C.A.R.E. relies solely on donations so everything is greatly appreciated! You can drop your donations off at either location or mail them.

• C.A.R.E. is always in need of items;  premium dry food, cat litter-clay type-not the sand type, collars (any size), hoof treats, shredded paper, newspaper, plastic grocery bags, trash bags, blankets, Kuranda pet beds, bleach, laundry soap, towels, air freshener spray, postage stamps, latex exam gloves, stainless steel food bowls, liter boxes, puppy pads, and  puppy and kitten milk replacer.
• All monetary donations are accepted and greatly appreciated!
• Donate to C.A.R.E.’s Closet. A thrift shop located next to the C.A.R.E. in Springfield.

Volunteer

• Volunteer a couple hours each week. You can volunteer at the Springfield or Ozark location and pick a time that is convenient for you!

Shop

• C.A.R.E.’s Closet is a thrift store located next to C.A.R.E. (Springfield Location). All money earned from the thrift shop are given to C.A.R.E.

Fundraiser 

• Our Summit Group is hosting a fundraiser until December 16th. We are selling dog treats, dog ornaments, and bug off spray and shampoo. Everything is $7.00! Please contact us to buy.
• Start your own fundraiser! Come up with a great fundraising idea and donate the proceeds to C.A.R.E.

Adopt

• The adoption fee is $75. This helps to cover vet fees to have the animals spayed/neutered and to give them their current vaccinations.

**You can also find all this information on our helpful tabs at the top!! : )

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I really enjoyed the last Summit class we had. It is always interesting to different points of view on how to be a good leader. I feel that being a good and active listener is a very good quality to have as a leader. We work and interact with different people every day. Some of those people we may have a lot in common with, and some of them we may not. However, no matter the circumstance, it is important that we know how to communicate with them. Playing cross the line was an eye-opening experience for me. Aspects of my life that I find very personal and specific to me, I also found are present in other people’s lives. It was really hard to cross the line sometimes, but the point of the game was to step out of the box we are all in and open up. Working at an animal shelter, it is hard to see how communication skills could be an important tool, especially when we only really work with dogs. We do still have to be able to communicate with our campus advisor and our community advisor, as well as carry on casual conversation with other volunteers at CARE. Although, communication skills may not be an obvious necessity, it is a skill we use every day. Another think I learned is how to be an active listener. Just nodding your head doesn’t mean you are really understanding and engaging in a conversation. It is important to make sure you are understanding what the other person is saying, and let them know that you do. Overall, I am really excited to hear more guest speakers in Summit this year. –Carolyn 

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Our most recent Summit class was unlike any other we’ve had. We had the opportunity to interact and communicate with our fellow classmates. This was a nice change of pace from previous classes in that we were able to get to know everyone, other than our housemates, on a more personal level. We began this process by receiving a challenge from our guest speaker. She encouraged us to get up from our usual seats and sit by a different classmate. We were then asked to discuss something bad or difficult that has happened to us recently. I found this extremely hard to do considering I don’t usually discuss my problems with people that I don’t know. At the same time, however, this exercise was refreshing. I was able to really let go without worrying about being judged by the other person. Along with that, I was able to listen to the other person without making any other assumptions or judge them. I found this exercise extremely important because listening skills are a key part in communication, and communication skills are a key part in everything I will do for the rest of my life, including my time in Summit Park. Considering that in all of our projects we are required to communicate with a lot of people, communication skills are vital to the success of our project. We communicate with our adviser on campus, our community adviser, and the other volunteers/workers at C.A.R.E. When we are there walking the dogs in the morning, we come up with the most efficient plan to get all of the dogs walked and all of the cages cleaned in a timely manner. The class on January 27th only furthered our communication skills and allowed us to view others’ perspectives and experiences in a different way. I look forward to listening to other speakers in our class throughout the semester. By listening to them, I will be able to develop even more personal leadership skills.  –Sheila 

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The class on January 27^th was unique as well as informative. The guest speaker made several good points in her presentation that I can use in the future. Although as a volunteer with C.A.R.E., I do not use these skills frequently, they will be helpful in my everyday life. The key point that I took away was to make sure your listener knows that you are fully engaged in the conversation. With distractions like cell phones, computers, televisions, games, and homework, it can be easy to get distracted in the middle of a conversation. However, the person with the issue or concern could take great offense to this. The talker wants a response from the listener. It is a very important detail to the conversation for them. Likewise, it is good for the listener to give responses like nodding, or eye contact. It is also equally important for the listener to repeat back what the speaker says to make sure that everything is understood correctly. One mistake that many listeners make, including me, is saying, “I know exactly how you feel!” This was one of the many things listed on the list of 35 dumb things well-intended people say. This list was very useful because there are numerous things on it that we normally do not think of as offensive but they can be to some people. One way I think these skills can help me with our community project is that it can help be better communicate with everyone involved; our community advisor, our faculty advisor, as well as my other group members. Since we do not interact with people much during our volunteer hours, I think we can still use this information about listening with each other as well as the with the workers at C.A.R.E. Overall, the speaker was great addition to the class and her le lectures as well as activities were helpful. –Brooke

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The class on January 27th was really an interesting and eye-opening experience. Throughout the past several years I have attended a few different leadership retreats and seminars to learn how to be a good leader. However, surprisingly none of them addressed the issue of dealing with diverse groups or people that were different from me. Therefore, it was quite interesting for me to do an exercise, such as cross the line, that allowed us to lay some of our most intimate and emotional feelings and experiences out for everyone to see. This was especially hard for me at times, because it often takes a while before I will even mention those types of things to someone. I was surprised at how many times I saw that even some of my very best friends were so radically different from me. This exercise in particular made the point that I thought was most important throughout the night. It taught me that no matter how different you are, and how different your life experiences are, we really all can get along. I think that is especially important for us to remember in our work with C.A.R.E. Sometimes it is quite easy to become frustrated with some of the volunteers that are different than us, and feel frustrated. However, this exercise taught us to think about the fact that maybe they see things differently than we do. Also, I really liked the poem that we read over at the end of class. I think it helped me realize that I am stronger than some of the hurt feelings that I have, and that sometimes you have to bear your flaws, and overcome them to be a good leader. Overall, I thought the class was really interesting, and I feel like I learned a lot from it. –Lindsay 

SMARTy Pants November 18, 2011

This week’s blog assignment is to post the SMART goal that we wrote for our Summit Project and explain our plans to meet it as a group.

The smart goal that I focused on was to become more organized as a group in how we communicate, get tasks done, and create ‘to-do’ lists.

Looking at this goal from a SMART perspective:

Specific: We are going to utilize one wall in our Summit House to organize our class, work, and volunteer schedules as well as a master calendar, a communication board, and a ‘to-do’ list for our projects.

Measurable: We want to use this ‘organization-station’ help us complete our first fundraiser by Christmas Break. We will do this by tracking our progress, posting messages from our community and faculty advisors, and keeping an updated calendar on the wall.

Attainable: This goal is very attainable because we have already have a calendar and we sort’ve know each other’s schedules, we just need to get them all organized and in one place so things can get done quicker and easier.

Realistic: It may take some time to get everything together and organized, but it is definitely “do-able.”

Timely: Having this done by the time our fundraiser gets into full swing is a timely and specific goal because we know when we will start the fundraiser so it gives us a certain date.

We will meet this goal as a group because everyone will have to participate in the gathering of information, the relaying of communication, and keeping everything updated and accurate. There is no point to organizing all of this if it is not constantly kept up and accurate. Everyone will be able to contribute their different schedules as well as calendar events.~Carolyn

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A goal that I would like us to achieve as a group is to create a timeline of events, schedule, and to-do lists for the remaining of the semester. I would like to gather all of these things and put them on a board that will be displaying in our house for all of us to have access. To see everything laid out and organized will help us stay on top of things.

By following these steps, I will make my goal a smart one:

SPECIFIC: The timeline and schedule will include specific dates and locations for our volunteering and the events that we will be having for C.A.R.E. It will also include specific times and dates for when we meet with our academic advisor and local businesses that we will be working with. Our to-do lists will be very detailed, in that we will assign different tasks between the four of us. If we know what each person is doing, this will allow us to work as a team.

MEASURABLE: The board with our timeline and to-do lists will be very up-to-date with what we need to accomplish. We will constantly be looking ahead and preparing for our next task.

ATTAINABLE: Each person in the house is a visual person. We all like to make lists and see things organized. Every person is on board with the idea of having everything on a board in a central part of the house. This goal is definitely attainable.

REALISTIC: Not only is this goal attainable, but it is extremely realistic. All it takes is a quick trip to the store for supplies and an hour or so to make it. If we all sit down and work on it, it will be an excellent way to discuss the remaining of the semester.

TIMELY: As previously stated, this board will not take very long to create. We should be able to complete the board very soon, and start updating it weekly.~ Sheila

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My SMART goal is to enhance our social media for our project in order to get more animals adopted. C.A.R.E. has a website and Facebook page. We are currently working on trying to get friends and family members to like the C.A.R.E. page. We are also posting links from their website of animals to adopt onto our Facebook pages so that our Facebook friends can view the animals that are up for adoption. Likewise, we have all been posting pictures of our experiences at C.A.R.E. on our Facebook pages. In addition, I am trying to make our blog easier to navigate and also add more information and pictures to it. We also have linked our blog to our Facebook page. Likewise, we have created a Twitter account for our Summit C.A.R.E. project and are currently working on getting that underway. We all feel that social media is a huge part of people’s lives these days and we are hoping that are efforts pay off so that we can eventually raise money for C.A.R.E. and get more animals adopted.

My SMART goal is specific in that I am focusing on just the social media aspect of our project. We are going to measure our progress by seeing how many people are viewing and commenting on our links as well as by the animals that are getting adopted because of our efforts. Our goal is also achievable because we are just hoping to raise awareness. It is also realisitic because if people consistently see our work, more than likely they will want to contribute to help. Finally, it is timely. We hope to have all our social media progress made by Thanksgiving Break and we hope to achieve our goal by the time our project is completed in May. –Brooke

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The SMART goal that I choose to focus on is to complete a fundraiser for C.A.R.E. Our organization, C.A.R.E., is run completely on donations and we would really like to do our part to help. We plan to partner with a company called, Nature’s Way Pet Café; they  make all-natural dog treats that come in a variety of flavors. There will be two parts to our fundraiser. The first part will consist of us selling Nature’s Way’s full-sized bag of treats to family, friends, and people that we know, both at school and at home. The second phase of our fundraiser is the much more exciting part of our project. For this part we will be purchasing several pounds of dog treats from Nature’s Way, small bags, toys, and baskets. Then we will set up a booth outside the Commons at Drury and people will be able to make their own doggie Christmas presents, just in time for the holidays! We would like to raise around $500 for C.A.R.E. with our fundraiser.

This goal follows each part of the SMART goal steps:

SPECIFIC: Our goal is specific because we would like to complete a fundraiser project for C.A.R.E. We would like to partner with Nature’s Way Pet Café to complete our project, and we would like to do it in two phases. We would also like to raise $500 for C.A.R.E.

MEASURABLE: This goal is measureable because we would like to raise $500 for C.A.R.E. The amount of money we raise will be our way to measure the success of our goal.

ATTAINABLE: Our goal is definitely attainable. We have already spoken with Nature’s Way and we have preliminary plans already in motion.

REALISTIC: This goal is very realistic, because we will be able to sell the full bags of treats to our families over the holidays, and we will be able to sell our custom doggie presents to the Drury community. With the two phases of our project combined, the $500 goal that we would like to reach seems very realistic.

TIMELY: We also have a timeline for our goal, making it a timely goal. We plan to complete our project within the first or second week of December.~Lindsay

High Hopes November 11, 2011

What are you personally hoping to accomplish for the remaining weeks of the semester in regards to your service project?

So far, I feel that we have been very successful this semester in the volunteer work we have been able to do. CARE is impossible to run without the help of their volunteers, so I am very happy to have contributed to that. For the remaining few weeks of the semester, I hope to continue volunteering every Wednesday as well as successfully complete our first fundraising event. We will be pairing with a local woman who makes natural dog treats. The name of her company is Nature’s Way Pet Cafe. The goal is to sell those dog treats in the commons as a sort of stocking stuffer for dogs along with other goodies like dog toys and doggy shampoo. We will not only be selling those from a table in the FSC, but we have order forms as well so that our friends, family, and peers can purchase more items than what we will have available. All of the proceeds will go to CARE. I feel that the Drury community will respond well to this fundraiser. I am also hoping to schedule a time to meet with our community advisor to discuss the work we have done so far, the fundraiser, and our plans for next semester. Finally, I personally hope to prepare plans for next semester in a timeline and to find what day I will be able to volunteer every week for the remainder of the year.~Carolyn

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We are currently working on a fund-raising event for end of this semester. We have paired with Nature’s Way Pet Cafe to help us with the event. They will be making all natural dog treats and we will be selling them on campus to raise money for CARE. Since the fundraiser will be close to Christmas time, we are going to allow students to put together their own bag with whatever flavor treats they want. (it will be like a stocking stuffer for their dog) We, along with the people at Nature’s Way, are extremely excited about the event. We expect it to be a great turn out. I work in the Marketing and Communications department at Drury, and I will be able to get the message out about our event early enough to generate awareness. We hope that this event will prepare us for our major event that we will hold during the Spring semester. We have been working on our Fall event for a few weeks now, and we expect our hard work to pay off. Personally, I am really looking forward to taking a step beyond volunteering and start raising some money!  ~Sheila

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Our Summit group has been working very diligently the past few weeks on putting together a fundraiser for C.A.R.E. We have all had numerous thoughts and ideas but I think we have finally reached a conclusion on how everything will work out.  We are working with a company called Nature’s Way Pet Café in Ozark. They are providing us with homemade dog treats as well as bags and other supplies we might need. We are still working out a few minor details but the plan is to sit outside the commons selling stocking stuffers for dogs. As each person goes through the line they will pick up a bag and fill it with what they will get their dog for Christmas. Then at the end of the line they will pay. The bag will then be tied together with a ribbon that will have a tag attached to it with C.A.R.E.’s logo. All proceeds form this event will go to C.A.R.E. By the end of this semester I hope to have completed a successful fundraising project for this great nonprofit organization. I personally hope that we can raise about $500 with this fundraiser. We are looking to reach the Drury Community (students, faculty, and staff) as well as our families and friends. I think we have a great idea and with our hard work and dedication we can make it happen!–Brooke

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In the remaining weeks of the semester I would personally like to successfully accomplish a fundraiser project for C.A.R.E. as well as continue our weekly volunteer sessions. Currently we are volunteering every
week at C.A.R.E., but I would really like to do more for our organization. As it is, we are actually very close to achieving this goal. We have already contacted Nature’s Way Pet Café, a company that makes all-natural dog treats, and we have meet with them to discuss our project. They are very enthusiastic about working with us, and they had a lot of great ideas to really make our project a success. After our meeting it seems like we have a pretty amazing fundraiser in the works. We have decided that we will sell Nature’s Way’s treats in the remaining weeks before the holidays. The treats come in several different varieties, and we plan to sell these full-size bags of treats to family, friends, and people here at Drury. In addition to this, we would like to add an aspect to our fundraiser and create a make-your-own-dog-Christmas present. For this aspect of our project we plan to buy several pounds of dog treats from Nature’s Way and then purchase some Christmas-themed bags for people to make their own unique sized bag of dog treats. Once they create their bags of dog treats they will be able to combine their purchases with small dog toys and other dog related items, then at the end of the line we will have several different sized baskets that they can choose from to really make their gifts unique. Finally, depending on what they have chosen which items they would like, we will be able to determine a price. With the two aspects of our fundraiser combined we would like to raise around $500 for C.A.R.E. This money, we hope, will help them find a new facility that is more suited to their needs, one that has a bigger outdoor area so that the dogs can run outside when the weather is nice. While this goal may seem quite large, we definitely think it is manageable, because we plan to sell not only to the Drury community, but also to our families back home. If we continue to volunteer at C.A.R.E. and work to make this project a real success, I think that we will be able to make a real difference to our organization! ~Lindsay

A “smart” Leadership Experience November 7, 2011

Reflections on your Smart Mob experience as well as a brief update on your project and what you have personally accomplished so far.

The first ever Smart Mob trip to Joplin was a very successful and amazing experience. There were many people that were able to go to Joplin, which helped get the job we were assigned done faster. Smart Mob was in charge laying sod Cunningham Park. The park was destroyed during the tornado. It has been redesigned and erected by Drury’s Architecture students and faculty in honor of the volunteers that have come from all over the nation to help put the city back together. I am so happy that I was able to help out in even a little way because a bunch of people doing little jobs is what gets the bigger job done. I would definitely go on another Smart Mob volunteer job.

The CARE project has started taking shape for this semester. We have decided that we are going to be selling dog treats in the commons. We hope to make it like a stocking stuffer activity that people can come and do during lunch for a few dollars. I think it will be a successful fundraiser. We haven’t started working on next semester’s fundraiser, but we have decided to wait until after we finish this one to start another. Volunteering at CARE is going really well. I love getting to see the animals every week. It is something to look forward to when I need a little pick me up. I have completed all of my service hours for Summit, but I plan on continuing on volunteering every Wednesday. --Carolyn

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As a student living in the Summit Park Leadership community, I am given many great opportunities. I, along with the other residents of the Summit Community, were recently given the chance to work with the Extreme Makeover-Home Addition in Joplin, MO. Our group was called the Drury Smart Mob. Similar to a flash mob, (a spontaneous outbreak in dance by a group of people) we showed up, surprised Joplin, and assisted in a service project. Once we arrived, our task was to help lay down sod in a park designed and built by Drury architecture students. Our time in Joplin was very eventful. Not only did we provide many pairs of extra hands, but we were able to see behind the scenes of the Extreme Makeover-Home Addition. Being able to help a town in need after a natural disaster is extremely rewarding. My experience in Joplin was unique, and I will never forget it.~Sheila

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On October 24^th, the entire Summit Community got the opportunity to volunteer with the first Drury Smart Mob with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project in Joplin. The entire day was quite memorable. We started off the day with some pictures, videos, and a quick lunch. Then we headed to Joplin. Once we arrived Dr. Regina Waters showed us the area affected by the tornado. We arrived at Cunningham Park in the afternoon.  ABC employees who gave us an overview of the project first greeted us and got us pumped up. Soon we began working hard on the day’s tasks. Our first task of the day was to lay sod. It was challenging but well worth it in the end. As the day progressed we mostly laid sod but also performed a few other little tasks. Likewise, we were given the chance to film with the interior designer Michael. We finally ended the day by eating a meal and viewing the seven houses. The entire experience was one of a kind and definitely worth the time. I thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was a volunteer experience that was truly unique. However, it was very different than I expected. While the ABC crew knew everything that was going on, the interior designers had no clue as to what was going on. It was shocking to me that there was so much acting. We had to pretend to do work on camera as well as redo work so that the camera could capture everything. Likewise, nothing ran on time and there was not a set plan because of the camera crews. It somewhat changed my opinion of the show and the work they do. On the hand though, Extreme Home Makeover has a great mission and does help numerous families each year.

Our summit project with C.A.R.E. is progressing nicely. We have started working very hard on our fundraising project for December. We are planning on selling little gifts for dogs as Christmas presents. We are in the process of talking to a lady from Nature’s Way about placing an order from her. Nature’s Way is a company in Springfield that makes dog treats for fundraisers like ours. We have a meeting with her this week and from there the fundraising plans should move along fairly fast.  We are all still are volunteering on a regular basis. I volunteered last week and faced many challenges, such as two dogs running away, but all in all everything is going well. –Brooke

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On October 24, Drury hosted its first Smart Mob. The task assigned to this group was to help create a park in Joplin. This park would be seen as a testament to all of the volunteers that have worked to rebuild Joplin
after the disastrous tornado.  It was truly an amazing experience to be a part of this group!

During our time in Joplin, Drury partnered with the crew of Extreme Home Makeover to really make our project a success. Our main task while we were in Joplin was to lay sod all around the park.  I’ve never laid sod before so that was definitely an interesting experience. When we were done and the park was almost completely done it was simply spectacular! It was like instant gratification! Also, while we were there two other girls and I had the opportunity to ride in the truck with two employees of Extreme Home Makeover.  It, too, was quite an interesting experience. We rode to the area where all of the flowers were stored, and we helped to load the plants that were going to the park. While we were loading plants it was interesting to see that they were using a Drury truck to load and move all of them. Overall, it was a great experience to be in Joplin. It was the first time that I had been there since the tornado hit, and the devastation was incredible to see. It just never really hit me until I saw it personally. It was great to get the chance to help these people out, and I would love to do it again!

Overall, our project is going really, really well.  We are still volunteering at C.A.R.E. once a week, and we are also currently working on organizing a fundraiser. During our weekly volunteer meetings we walk all of the dogs and then transfer them to their front cages. Once they are in their front cages we have to clean their back cages and reline them with newspaper and paper shreds. After all of these tasks are completed we are allowed to play with the dogs and really get to know their personalities. Of course, I have fallen in love with one of the dogs, Marvin, a chihuahua. He’s extremely sweet and I can’t wait to find him a home!

We’re also working on a fundraiser project for C.A.R.E.  We are hoping to partner with Nature’s Way Pet Café and sell dog treat stocking stuffers for the holidays. It’s a really exciting idea to think about, and Nature’s Way seems to be really excited to work with us and with C.A.R.E.!  Hopefully, we can get everything worked out before the holidays!~Lindsay