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2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDate: 2009-10-19
Contact: Ginger Lever
Director, Marketing & Community Relations
The University of New Hampshire, Manchester
400 Commercial Street
Manchester, NH 03101
Phone: (603) 641-4122
Fax: (603) 641-4192
E-Mail: ginger.lever@unh.edu
UNH Manchester’s 2009 Warmth from the Millyard Clothing Drive Begins November 9
Manchester, NH – The Warmth from the Millyard warm clothing drive is scheduled for November 9th to November 20th, 2009. The winter clothing drive is a collaborative initiative between the University of New Hampshire at Manchester and the Community Leadership (CoLead) Program. This year’s drive will collect warm clothing for children and adults served by Southern New Hampshire Services, New Horizons Soup Kitchen and Shelter, and Child and Family Services of New Hampshire.
UNH Manchester students in CoLead classes will coordinate the drive. Since it began in 2007,Warmth from the Millyard has grown from a class project to a college-wide effort that combines classroom learning and community-based research focused on a community problem, in this case, the need for warm clothing. This year the initiative also involves students taking courses in biology, business, communication arts, economics, education, and the college’s First Year Experience program. Students develop skills and knowledge including leadership, communication, managing conflict and change, marketing, project planning and management, evaluation, and understanding social justice issues including poverty and power.
Since 2007, CoLead students partnered with area businesses. They collected and distributed lightly used winter clothing to local nonprofit organizations and raised awareness about poverty-related issues in the Greater Manchester area. In 2007 and 2008, the classes partnered with more than 20 businesses, schools and non-profits and received more than 3,600 donated items that were delivered to 15 non-profit organizations.
Last year’s drive collected more than 2800 items. Kate Hanson, CoLead Program director noted that, “The project was at a turning point. Our success made continuing with the initial structure unsustainable. We needed a new structure to manage the donations to better meet community needs.” Last spring CoLead students entered, and ultimately won, the state-wide Social Entrepreneurial Leadership (SESL) Challenge to solve the problem.
CoLead students developed a web-based system that matches donor organizations with recipient needs more effectively, efficiently, and in real time. The new web based organizational structure will be tested during this fall’s drive. Hanson explained that “This year’s drive will be scaled back a bit and focus in on three key New Hampshire organizations. Students will mobilize UNH Manchester and a few other organizations to meet those needs.”
The new structure will be launched after testing and evaluation the system. The new model will support expanded service to more community organizations. Recipient organizations will post their specific needs on the site. Donor organizations will be able to identify the needs they can commit to meeting. CoLead students will continue to guide the project and provide assistance, research, outreach, public information, and education to raise awareness about the issues surrounding poverty. They will also develop programs and materials to recognize the community’s response to the Warmth from the Millyard project.
For more information on the Warmth from the Millyard Project contact Kate Hanson at Kate.Hanson@unh.edu and visit our blog: www.warmthfromthemillyard2009.blogspot.com
The Community Leadership program originated at the University of New Hampshire’s flagship campus in Durham in 2000. This innovative program combines a rigorous academic program with service learning, leadership development, and nonprofit management. The Community Leadership program was brought to UNH Manchester in fall 2007.
UNH Manchester, UNH's urban campus, offers liberal arts and applied majors in business, science, and technology, all with an urban focus. UNH Manchester is UNH. Learn more at www.unhm.unh.edu.
