Students formed committees to work on publicity, art work, collection boxes, distribution and pick-up, education and related activities--and spent many extra hours on campus.  With guidance from Yvonne, they developed a presentation on the issue of hunger, and delivered the presentation to 13 different classes on the comprehensive campus.  The students also organized a bake sale and donated all proceeds ($420) to Manna.  Additionally, they approached local businesses to obtain discount coupons and small prizes as incentives for the bake sale, and were successful in getting the on-campus Starbucks to provide free coffee to those who donated food items during the week of November 9th.  As a result of their substantial efforts, over 1,000 pounds of food were collected during the two-week drive, which translates into 4,000 meals.

Student bake sale during food drive that raised $420 for Manna Food Center  

Maryland requires that all students complete at least 75 hours of Student Service Learning (SSL) in order to receive their high school diploma, and most students entering Gateway have completed few, if any, of the required hours.  Gateway staff members have found that, by engaging each Foundation learning community in a group SSL activity, students develop the interest and momentum to continue pursuing service learning activities.  Through the food drive project, students not only accrued SSL hours, but also realized their ability to make a difference around the issue of hunger and other pressing community needs.

Yvonne incorporated numerous activities into her College Survival class to help prepare students for the food drive.  Among the topics covered include group dynamics, active listening, assertiveness, time management and goal setting.  At the end of the food drive, students evaluated each other on the qualities and skills of their work.  Each student was also required to write a reflective paper on the individual contributions they made and lessons learned from the project.   

Gateway students delivering presentation on hunger to other Montgomery College students  

"Through this experience, students have challenged themselves in ways they have never been challenged before," said Yvonne Hu-Cotto.  "I think many have surprised themselves in their ability and skills when they invest the time and effort to plan and follow through with an activity.  They have learned the value of team work and working for a greater good.  I am very proud of what they have achieved."  

Here's what a few students said about their experience:  

"I have gained SSL hours from this project, but more importantly, I have faith in myself and my classmates to create something powerful and have also learned to take more pride in my community." 

"I have educated [the students] on hunger in Maryland and globally.  I feel the impact was positive because people were asking questions and wanting to know more about Manna Food Center.  Some people said they were going to go to Manna and help out there."  

Three new staff members--Ashley Wilkins, George Reese, and Devora Shamah--have recently joined the National Network. 

In August, Ashley Wilkins began her role as Program Assistant, where she provides support in the areas of administration, finance, board relations and new program development.  Ashley graduated from Portland State University in June 2009 with a bachelor's degree in Community Development. 

George Reese came aboard on November 9 in the capacity of Program Manager - Training and Site Support.  He will help support our growing network in the areas of training, site support and continuous improvement.  George worked at Clark College in Vancouver for 14 years, most recently as the Director of Instructional Programming and Innovation.  Earlier in his career, George taught science and health courses for Vancouver Public Schools.  He holds a master's degree in adult education from Oregon State University. 

Devora Shamah started on November 19 in the role of Program Manager - Research and Reporting.  She will help plan and implement the National Network's research and evaluation efforts and also will focus on translating our data for various audiences.  Devora holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Oregon State University and a master's degree in elementary education from the University of Chicago.  Prior to her doctoral studies, Devora spent ten years teaching in K-12 schools, including six years at Open Meadow Alternative School in Portland.  Devora replaces Mahmoud El-Gohary, who has moved on to concentrate on work more closely related to his nearly-complete Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.  

Niles Voyer-McGiver, who was originally hired as Program Intern in October 2008, was promoted to Program Coordinator in September 2009.  Niles works closely with Ben Byers on data collection and analysis, and also provides valuable assistance in the area of technology.  He holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Binghamton University and will soon complete a master's degree in Socially Responsible Business from Goddard College.