02/19/2008 - DeKalb County Communities Begin "Communiversity Cares" Initiative

In an effort to demonstrate the unity of the communiversity and to assist with the many tangible and intangible needs of the university and community during this week of healing, a number of activities are underway. These include:

Visible demonstrations of unity

• Community-wide signage. Signs and banners expressing sympathy and support are up all over the DeKalb/Sycamore community. New signs carrying the message “Forward, Together Forward” will soon be up everywhere. To get a poster for your place of business, call the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce at 815/756-6306.
• Media involvement. The Daily Chronicle has an on-line community diary for citizens to share their thoughts and will continually post community information at www.daily-chronicle.com. WLBK and B95 radio are playing public service announcements expressing the community’s concern and encouraging citizens to move “forward, together forward.”
• Red and black ribbons. Students and other community volunteers are making red and black ribbons so everyone can demonstrate their solidarity by wearing a ribbon on their lapel. Local retailers are calling on suppliers all over the country to rush red and black ribbon to DeKalb. Ribbons may be picked up during business hours at the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, 164 East Lincoln Highway, or the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, 407 West State Street, Suite 10. For more information, contact [name,organization] at [phone number].

Welcoming NIU students

• Comfort food for students. Community volunteers are gathering cookies and other treats to give to students during their first couple of days back in classes. Local bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores have been generous – more than 30,000 cookies were pledged in a 24-hour period. To make a donation of commercially-prepared and individually packaged treats, contact [name,organization] at [phone number].
• Banners/decorations. Banners are being posted up and down Annie Glidden Road and Lincoln Highway to ensure that students returning to campus can plainly see the community’s concern and affection for them.

Community outreach

• Community counseling. Workshops will be held throughout the community on trauma, grief and how to talk to your children about the events that have occurred. Additional services and referral mechanisms for community service providers, the faith community, community groups, schools, and parent teacher organizations will be provided. For more information, contact Michael Flora at the Ben Gordon Center at 815/756-4875.

Here are numerous volunteer opportunities:

 ©Dinners for Place-Bound (International) Students

Dinners are being provided by the ‘Communiversity Committee’, a blending of NIU personnel and community entities at several area churches this week to offer hot meals and a community atmosphere for International students and place-bound students who have had to remain on campus this week.  

 -     Volunteers interested in helping at the NIU Community Student Dinner on Thursday night, 2/21/08 from 5pm-8pm at the Newman Center, contact Rose Treml at the Sycamore Chamber at (815) 895-3456.

 -      Volunteers interested in helping at the NIU Community Student Dinner on Friday night with dinners or serving from 5-8 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, contact Judy Harris at the First Congregational Church at (815) 756-0691. THANKS!

 ©Ribbon Making Events

- Several DeKalb School District 428 schools will have ribbon making sessions on Friday, February 22, 2008 and Saturday, February 23rd. Please bring scissors and small safety pins.
DeKalb High School, 1515 S. 4th St. – Friday @ 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. ; Library (open to public)
Education Center, 901 S. 4th St. – Friday @ 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Saturday @ 9:00-11:30 a.m. in the Board Room (open to public)
Littlejohn Elementary School, 1121 School St. - Saturday @ 10:00 a.m. until noon (open to public)

- The Huskie Community at Northern Illinois University would like to reach out to our family in the DeKalb and Sycamore area and ask for your support in a ribbon making campaign. Come help make ribbons.

Thursday 2/21 from 6pm to 8pm and 2/23 Saturday from 2pm-4pm at:

• Caribou Coffee on Sycamore Road in DeKalb
• Borders Books and Music on Sycamore Road in DeKalb
• Starbucks on Lincoln Highway in DeKalb

- You are also more than welcome to join the NIU community in the foyer of the Campus Life Building on the corner of Lucinda and Normal any time the building is open to make ribbons. 

If you have your own black and red ribbon, we would appreciate any donations you can give.  We thank you for all of your support throughout this tragedy and ask for your continued thoughts and support as we move “forward, together forward."

For more information, please call the Student Involvement and Leadership Development office at
815-753-1421.

 ©Cookie Labeling Sessions

- More than 51,000 cookies have been donated by commercial bakeries and restaurants. They will be arriving at Kishwaukee Hospital on Friday, February 22 by 2:00 p.m. We need help from 2-7 pm on Friday, in one hour shifts to place special stickers on the cookies for distribution to the NIU students when they return this weekend.  We were thinking that if certain area agencies could take a slot and fill it with 20 volunteers, that would be great (we took the liberty to assign time slots).  Please let us know if you do not feel you can supply 20 volunteers.

2-3 PM   Kishwaukee United Way
3-4 PM   DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
3-4 PM   Sycamore Chamber
4-5 PM   Kishwaukee College
4-5 PM   Kishwaukee Hospital
5-6 PM   DeKalb School District (we are asking high school students to take this one)
5-6 PM   Sycamore School District
7-8 PM   Community Volunteers

We can only have a max of 50 volunteers during each time period.  Please stick to the specified amount of 20 volunteers from each agency. Once you have reached your 20, if you still have people wanting to help out, please direct them to Theresa Komitas, Kishwaukee Hospital, 815.756.1521 x153737.  We do NOT want people just showing up to help.  Everyone apprecaites the outpouring of people willing and wanting to help, but due to space restrictions, this is all that can be accomodated for this project at this time.   We may need people during the day to pick up cookies from various location as well, we will let you know.

 ©Chambers establish memorial fund

 ©Community shows support for NIU

- People throughout the community are wearing Huskie red and black as a show of support for NIU and the affected students.

- Many DeKalb District 428 schools are hosting an NIU Spirit Wear Day on Friday, February 22nd. The staff members of the participating schools will donate 50 cents for each student wearing Huskie colors that day to the two memorial funds.

- District 428 students are coloring welcome back notes for distribution with cookies to NIU students this weekend CLICK HERE FOR COLORING PAGE (For younger students)

- A website devoted to the "Communiversity Cares" Initiative: http://www.communiversitycares.com/

DeKalb — Northern Illinois University announced today that its memorial service to mark the tragedy on campus will be held at the NIU Convocation Center at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24. Doors will open to the public at 5 p.m.

Expecting that the Convocation Center capacity might be exceeded, overflow closed circuit television viewing locations will be provided on campus at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, the Campus Recreation Center and the Holmes Student Center.

“Our campus family endured a tragedy of unfathomable proportions on Thursday, February 14,” NIU President John Peters said. “This memorial will initiate a set of activities and services, aimed at community recovery, that will continue throughout the semester.”

Media credentialing details will be released Wednesday, and information on parking at the Convocation Center and at other viewing locations also is forthcoming. Carpooling is recommended. NIU also is making plans to stream the service live on its Web site, www.niu.edu.

For more information, visit www.niu.edu.

More items will be added this week as details become available. "Forward, Together Forward.

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