Meet-Up & Members Blog

Dr. Patriann Smith, an associate professor, at the University of South Florida (https://www.usf.edu/education/faculty/faculty-profiles/patriann-smith.aspx) will lead two different talks at the University of Miami next week. On Monday, November 13, from 5:00 pm-6:30 pm, Dr. Smith will lead a discussion entitled Bridging the Chasm in Languaging and Literacies: The Flourishing Imperative in which she’ll discuss immigrate children’s literacies and what she calls “linguistic innocence”. 

Please use this link to register: https://sites.education.miami.edu/cewrc/2023/09/05/2023-2024-speaker-series-02/ 

On Tuesday, she’ll lead a smaller more innate lunch conversation for just 25 folks. During that talk she’ll speak a bit more about her research regarding Affirming Black students’ lives and literacies. 

Please use this link to register:  https://umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Na5lKOTKIGwg3I 

My name is Nandini. I’m a volunteer with ENGin, a global nonprofit organization connecting Ukrainian youth with English-speaking volunteers for conversation practice and cross-cultural exchange. 

We currently have an urgent need for volunteers to meet online with a Ukrainian student for 1 hour/week. Our volunteers range from high school and college students to professionals to retirees, located in all 50 US states and 130+ countries worldwide. The only requirement is English fluency. 

Through simple weekly conversations, volunteers make a huge impact - helping young Ukrainians break the language barrier, offering emotional support, and introducing them to a new culture. 

Our volunteers also reap immense benefits from the experience - many feel they get even more out of the program than students do. Here’s a recent note from Joshua: “My ENGin experience has been amazing, fulfilling, and so incredibly informative. I find myself looking forward to each session with my buddy and we communicate often between sessions. ENGin is life-changing for volunteers.” 

Could you share information about our volunteer opportunity with your group of returned Peace Corps volunteers? Whether you can post information about ENGin on your websites, share it in a newsletter or post on social media, it would be such a huge help for us. We would also love to do a presentation for your group if there is an opportunity to do so. 

You can learn more about us at our website: www.enginprogram.org. ENGin’s Co-Director of Volunteering, Maria Wood (cc’d here) would also be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you so much,

Nandini

Would you like to participate in the Miami Marathon but don't want to run all those miles??

No worries, sign up to volunteer at an Aid Station with other RPCV friends to get the full experience! The Miami Marathon is Sunday, January 28th, 2024, we will have 3 shifts (set up: 6-8am, race time: 8-11am, and all day: 6-11:30am).

Please email Taylor Majher (taylormajher@yahoo.com) if you would like to join us! Please include in your email: first/last name, email address, phone number and T-shirt size. Thank you! 

If you are looking to support refugee families in South FL please reach out to me (Taylor Majher) at tmajher@peacecorps.gov to pick up and deliver bags of food to 3 different Venezuelan refugee families that have resettled in Little Havana.

Thank you!

https://www.redlandview.com

Check out the Redland View for dozens of events and venues throughout South Florida.

There has been discussion by the Board of volunteering opportunities in our area.  Alan Seigel and Larry Geiter volunteer at the Feeding South Florida warehouse in Pembroke Park on most Thursdays and RPCVSF has a team that volunteers as a group on the third Thursday of each month.  Please contact Larry Geiter to join in with the Saturday team.  

Some have asked for information on opportunities at the food pantries/kitchens supported by FSF.  A link to a list of the pantries/kitchens is at Locate an Agency - Feeding South Florida®  

Other opportunities related to food available through FSF include:

1. Volunteer to help prep, cook, and pack meals in our Community Kitchen at Feeding Palm Beach County.   in the Boynton Beach Community Kitchen Mon.- Fri. 8:30-11:30 and/or 12:30-3:30 and Saturday 8:30-11:30
2. Volunteer to assist site coordinator at specific location in distributing meal boxes to older adults.  Mon-Wed at various sites 10:00-1:00
3. City of Miami Beach food distribution, Thursdays from 8:00 – 11:30 am at 4000 Chase Ave, Miami Beach 33140

More information and sign-up menus is available at Feeding South Florida - Events