Volunteer Emory, and the Center for Community Partnerships (CFCP) are hosting an End of Year Celebration on Friday, April 26 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Winship Ballroom.
The University-wide event will celebrate the contributions of community partners and Emory staff, faculty, alumni and students from across campus.
Volunteer Emory, part of the Office of Student Leadership & Service, organizes weekly service trips for students, alternative fall and spring breaks, special events and social justice dialogues.
The Center for Community Partnerships is Emory's centralized resource for coordinating, aligning and enhancing the University’s engagement and outreach to serve the greater Atlanta community. Working closely with partners at Emory and in the community, CFCP collaborates with other Emory organizations to coordinate their related programs and develops a range of its own initiatives.
"There's a real breadth and depth of community engagement work at Emory, everything from going to make sandwiches in the DUC, to tutoring, to courses that are heavily involved in solving real-world problems in the Atlanta community," says Maureen Sweatman, director of operations for CFCP.
The celebration on April 26 is an opportunity to illustrate how Volunteer Emory and CFCP work together with Emory's community partners, says Volunteer Emory Fellow Alexis Irby.
The power of partnership is the theme of the evening.
The celebration is "a way to appreciate all the players involved – the coordinating offices, the staff, the students, the alumni, the community partners – everyone who has a hand in community partnership and community engagement," says Sweatman, who will give remarks during the celebration.
McKenzie Wren, executive director of Clarkston Community Center and Emory alumna, is the keynote speaker. Other speakers include:
Ozzie Harris, senior vice provost for community and diversity
Bridget Riordan, dean of students
Mark Torrez, assistant director for community engagement.
Refreshments will be served. RSVP requested.
"Our hope is that this event will grow and eventually become a University-wide community engagement celebration," says Irby.