50 Years of Community Service at ECPI University
50 Ways ECPI University Students, Faculty, and Staff Make a Difference
Since 1996, ECPI University has been making a difference in the communities it serves. Its primary focus, of course, is producing skilled graduates for the workplace, thereby supporting economic growth and development. But it also touches the community in more personal ways through volunteer work and charitable giving.
At ECPI University, we believe in helping students grow both personally and professionally. One way we do this is by providing opportunities for them to join faculty and staff in helping others. On this, our 50th anniversary, we give you 50 examples of our campus communities reaching out.
1. Blood Drives – All of ECPI University’s campuses hold blood drives every few months, with hundreds of pints being donated each year.
2. LowCountry Regional Science and Engineering Fair – Faculty and students from the Charleston campus serve as judges at this annual event for public school students grades 5-12.
3. Alex’s Lemonade Stand – The Richmond/Emerywood campus recently raised more than $300 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a project to fund pediatric cancer research.
4. Chesterfield County, Virginia Public Library – Students from the Richmond/Moorefield campus serve as volunteers, helping people operate the county’s new 3D printer, available to all library patrons.
5. Book Drive – The Richmond/Moorefield campus recently held a book drive to collect donations for Crestwood Elementary School’s summer reading program.
6. Clothing Drive – Members of the Virginia Beach campus’ criminal justice association, Lambda Alpha Sigma Lambda, collected more than 200 articles of clothing, as well as hygiene products, for the homeless at the Union Mission.
7. STEM Trifecta – ECPI University sponsored this annual event held by Virginia Beach Public Schools where hundreds of elementary, middle, and high school students compete in unique, hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math activities.
8. Food Drives – Jeremy Setiz, a student at the Roanoke campus, led a food drive to collect healthy food items that children from low-income families can bring home from school each weekend. The campus also held a winter food drive, collecting more than 330 pounds of food for Feeding America Southwest Virginia.
9. Adopt-a-Highway – The Columbia, Charleston, and Raleigh campuses all sponsor portions of local highways that they regularly visit to pick up trash.
10. School Supply Drive – Honor Society members at the Charleston campus gathered donations and raised funds to purchase more than $500 worth of school supplies for Pinehurst Elementary, a Title 1 school with a large percentage of children from low-income households.
11. Health Screenings – Members of the Medical Professionals Club at the Charlotte campus volunteered their services at Crisis Assistance Ministry’s recent health screening, performing TB testing, hemoglobin and glucose checks, vital signs, baby scale measurements, body mass indexes, and eye chart screenings.
12. Jeans Day – Nursing students at the Newport News campus organized a jeans day fundraiser to support Edmarc Hospice for Children.
13. Cancer Research – Each year, ECPI University campuses in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina field teams for the Relay for Life and raise money each October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
14. Bone Marrow Screening – The Raleigh campus organized a bone marrow screening event where more than 50 people had their cheeks swabbed and will be entered into a national database.
15. Hospice Education – Nursing faculty at the Roanoke campus hosted a hospice educational event about end-of-life care, inviting both students and the region’s healthcare community.
16. Paws for People – The Healthcare Administration Club has been holding fundraisers in order to provide a medical assistance dog to a veteran in need.
17. Toys for Tots – Every year, members of Student Veterans of America Charlotte, Virginia Beach, and Richmond/Moorefield campus chapters collect donations for the U.S. Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots campaign.
18. Lupus Support – As a community partner of the South Carolina Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, members of the Columbia campus’ Health Science Club raise money and awareness at the foundation’s Jingle Change Jar event.
19. Harvest Hope Food Bank – Students, faculty, and staff at the Greenville campus collected more than 700 pounds of food for the Harvest Hope Food Bank.
20. Cards for Troops – Members of Student Veterans of America Richmond/Moorefield chapter spearheaded the campus’ annual campaign to support A Million Thanks, an organization that collects and distributes holiday cards for service members overseas.
21. Family Services, Inc. – Each year, the Phi Theta Kappa chapter at the Greensboro campus collects donations for its Stuffed Animal Drive to benefit children who are sick, homeless, or live in foster care.
22. JRDF – Students, faculty, and staff at the Greenville campus raised $758 for the JDRF One Walk to help overcome type 1 diabetes.
23. Animal Shelter - The Criminal Justice Club at the Richmond/Moorefield campus collected money and donations on behalf of the Petersburg Animal Shelter.
24. Fresh-Squeezed Miracles – Practical Nursing students at the Roanoke campus hosted a lemonade stand to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.
25. Heart Walk – A team of students, faculty, and staff at the Columbia campus joined more than 5,000 others at the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk.
26. March of Dimes – As a show of support for a fellow student who recently gave birth prematurely, the Practical Nursing program at the Greenville campus fielded a team of 45 enthusiastic participants for the March of Dimes March for Babies.
27. Heart Chase – The Medical Radiography program at the Newport News campus fielded a team that participated in the American Heart Association Heart Chase, raising more than $400.
28. Homelessness – Nursing department volunteers recently prepared and served dinner to area homeless at the Roanoke Rescue Mission.
29. Holiday House – The Healthcare Administration Association at the Virginia Beach campus raised money and collected toys for the Holiday House of Portsmouth, an intermediate care facility dedicated to providing rehabilitative care for children with special needs.
30. Medical Missions – Members of the Healthcare Administration Association at the Virginia Beach campus volunteered with the Montero Medical Mission, providing assistance at the quarterly Veterans Health Fair which promotes access to healthcare for military veterans.
31. Dental Care – Dental Assistant students volunteered at an event sponsored by Give Kids a Smile, providing dental care to children whose families are uninsured or underinsured and cannot afford dental care.
32. Free Excel Training – The Technology Club and Honour Society at the Charleston campus hosted a free beginning Excel course to 18 senior citizens from the City of Hanahan Senior Center.
33. Penny Wars – The Student Veterans of America chapter at the Charlotte campus celebrated Veterans Day by staging a penny war. Each class competed to collect the most pennies in a jar, which resulted in more than $500 being donated to the Wounded Warriors Project.
34. Adopt-a-Soldier – The Greensboro campus teamed up with ATCOM Business Technology Solutions to collect donations for the Adopt-a-Soldier program. All items were sent overseas and used to fill backpacks for soldiers who spend extended periods of time away from base.
35. Angel Tree – The Richmond/Innsbrook, Greenville, and Newport News campuses collect holiday toys for this annual Salvation Army campaign to help children in need.
36. 8K Race – The Business Club and Phi Theta Kappa at the Newport News campus spearhead an annual 8K race for charity. Runners and walkers throughout the region help raise money for a different charity each year.
37. Alzheimer Fundraiser – Physical Therapy Assistant students and faculty at the Newport News campus exercised for 14 hours and 37 minutes straight to honor the exhausting, long hours of care provided by Alzheimer’s caregivers. All money raised during the event was donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.
38. Diabetes Walk – The American Medical Technologists Club at the Charlotte campus participated in the Charlotte Walk to Cure Diabetes.
39. Disabled Veterans – The Student Veterans of America chapter at the Richmond/Moorefield campus hosted a chili sale to raise funds for Disabled American Veterans.
40. Wounded Warriors – The Virginia Beach campus fielded a team of nearly 20 runners for the Spartyka Wounded Warrior Run.
41. Computer Camp – Faculty and students at the Charleston campus hosted about 25 middle school students for a week-long “Build-a-Computer Camp.” Attendees learned how hardware and software makes their favorite electronics work and how to disassemble and reassemble a computer.
42. Special Olympics – Physical Therapist Assistant students from the Richmond/Emerywood campus regularly volunteer the Special Olympics Virginia Healthy Athletes Fun Fitness event.
43. Humane Society – Members of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the Greensboro campus collected pet food and supplies for the Humane Society.
44. Supporting Veterans – The Criminal Justice Club at the Richmond/Moorefield campus hosted a bake sale with all proceeds being donated to the Fisher House which provides lodging to the families of veterans who are receiving treatment at the McGuire VA hospital.
45. MDA – Members of the Physical Therapy Assistant program at the Newport News campus hold a variety of fundraising events throughout the year and raise thousands of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. They also send a large contingent to MDA Summer Camp to assist with activities.
46. Music and Memory Program – The Healthcare Administration Association at the Virginia Beach campus collected iTunes gift cards and used iPods for the Music and Memory program at Pacifica Assisted Living which provides music to residents with Alzheimer’s disease and memory illnesses.
47. Kids Café – Each month, student and faculty members at ECPI University’s College of Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of Virginia, meet early in the morning to prepare meals for thousands of people being helped through the FoodBank of Southeastern Virginia.
48. Senior Resource Guide – At the request of the Norfolk Mayor’s Task Force on Aging, the Healthcare Administration Club at the Virginia Beach campus created a resource guide that outlines organizations that offer services and support to local seniors.
49. School Supplies – Several clubs at the Charlotte campus – Phi Theta Kappa, Professionals in Information Technology, Criminal Justice, and the Electronic Technicians Association – collected school supplies for Classroom Central, an organization that helps needy children in the Charlotte- Mecklenburg Public School system.
50. Fans for Seniors – The Medical Student Association at the Columbia campus held a fundraising campaign for the Fan the Heat program, an annual effort by the Columbia Police Department to provide proper cooling during the summer months for senior citizens.
Are you looking for an education at an institution that also reaches out? Why not explore ECPI University? We offer degrees in a variety of fields. Contact an admissions counselor today to see if ECPI University would be a good fit for you. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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