Dear community,

While navigating this ongoing challenging terrain, you may be looking for new ways to connect with others and engage in meaningful activities. Lending your strengths by engaging in service activities can be a wonderful way to generate or reconnect with a sense of meaning in your life at this moment in time. Giving back to your community or to others you may not even know can create a sense of purpose for you and a sense of hope for others. This newsletter will highlight various service opportunities and ways to have fun this weekend and beyond!

Wishing you wellness,

The Skorton Center for Health Initiatives at Cornell Health

One thing we learned from our Cornell Health COVID-19 Survey that ran earlier this month is that the vast majority of students were interested in receiving more information about COVID-19 risk reduction. In response, Skorton Center staff developed a series of short videos that highlight simple risk reduction measures to protect yourself and your loved ones, no matter where you currently reside. View our second video above on effective handwashing practices to protect yourself, your friends, and your family! This too is an act of service. If you missed our previous videos on the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing, see them here!

During this global pandemic, we protect and serve each other by staying home and physical distancing. At the same time, as human beings, we're hardwired for social connection. Especially in times of great challenge, we oftentimes feel drawn to do what we can to support others — in our home communities and around the world. We are compelled to Serve in Place.

Engaged Cornell is offering "Serve in Place" grants of up to $1,000 to support students who are spending summer 2020 participating in any type of community-based research activities or community-engaged learning projects that:

1. Address a specific need, problem, or public concern;

2. Include working with and learning from a community partner;

3. Are connected (and well-integrated) with course content and disciplinary perspectives;

4. For co-curricular (non-credit bearing activities): Are well-integrated with educational content that the engagement work is addressing; and

5. Include structured, documented critical reflection.

The application has a rolling deadline from May 1st through July 31st, 2020, and the review and notification process will repeat weekly. Learn more about this exciting opportunity here!

The Cornell Public Service Center "Hot List" is home to a collection of community-organized volunteering opportunities including: virtual opportunities, supporting senior citizens, tackling food insecurity, mask-making, opportunities both in and outside of Ithaca, and more. If you are interested in volunteering, your particular skills or strengths are welcomed! Please contact the individuals whose information is provided directly in each listing.

As you may be aware, hospitals all around the country are running short on facial masks as a result of the rapid spread of COVID-19. In hopes of aiding local medical facilities in need, CU Knit With Care is starting a mask-making campaign where they will be sewing masks using tightly-woven cotton fabric and delivering them to local medical facilities. If you are interested in helping with this project, please email cuknitwithcare@gmail.com. They will provide links to the mask design and the list of necessary materials. Owning a sewing machine is helpful in making the masks, but not necessary, and any help is appreciated.

Dr. Clarke, director of occupational medicine at Cornell Health, is using his medical expertise and musical talents in service of spreading important public health information about COVID-19 through this "health-hop" rap video. Read more about Dr. Clarke's creative use of rap to share health-related messaging in the Cornell Chronicle.

Along with all of the medical and mental health professionals who have been working consistently to support the well-being of our Cornell community, we'd also like to give a shoutout to those who have been working behind the scenes to bring daily doses of mindfulness, peace, and serenity to our lives. The Cornell Let's Meditate guides are continuing to provide guided mindfulness meditation sessions, which now also include a session in Spanish on Wednesdays at noon. Thank you to the Cornell staff and students who serve as volunteer guides for these sessions for helping many of us restore and maintain a sense of calm in our lives. With it being the home stretch of the semester, it's a great time to check out Let's Meditate for a well-deserved mindfulness break to decompress, and sessions will be continuing through the end of finals towards the end of May. Click here to see the meditation schedule!

If you find yourself struggling or in need of someone to talk to, know that you are not alone.

The following resources are here to support you:

Cornell Resources

• Cornell Health phone consultation (24/7): 607-255-5155

Ithaca Resources (24/7)

• Ithaca Crisisline: 800-273-8255

• Advocacy Center (sexual/domestic violence): 607-277-5000

National Talk-Lines (24/7)

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

• Trevor Project hotline (LGBTQ+): 866-488-7386

• LGBT+ National Hotline: 888-843-4564

• TransLifeline: 877-565-8860

National Text/Chat Services

• National Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741

• Steve Fund crisis text line: Text STEVE to 741741 (connects you to a crisis counselor of color)

• Trevor Project text line (LGBTQ+): Text START to 678678

• National Suicide Prevention "Lifeline CHAT" service: suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat