Spring Break
UConn students can help out in tough economic times
Madeline Ward
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: Commentary
There was a chaotic swarm of colorful coats and the occasional Halloween costume, as about 25 children boarded two separate buses provided by UConn. Each of them had a "big friend" from UConn at their side. They were all participants in a program called Mansfield Youth Services Big Friends.
The program coordinator, Pat Michalak, checked to see if all the students were with their "big friends."
They then went to a pumpkin patch at, Edmondson's Farm in Coventry, where they were allowed to bring home a jack-o-lantern and took a hayride around the woods. Meanwhile the children were able to bond with their student mentors.
To the untrained eye this would seem nothing more than an average field trip. But if one were to take a closer look, they would see that almost none of the children had cell phones. Nor is it likely that they could have been able to afford a pumpkin for Halloween this year.
Occurrences like this are common among UConn's Community Outreach and other volunteer programs.
The economic downturn has hit home - and most UConn students do not realize it. Sure, they may see minor repercussions in their own lives or their friends', but for the towns surrounding UConn there is a long, hard road ahead.
In 2007, 16.8 percent of Mansfield residents were below the state poverty level. It's safe to assume that things have gotten worse. Even if the economy continues to improve, it can take a very long time for someone who has fallen to get back on his or her feet.
There is some evidence of tough times around campus. The florist shop is now an empty storefront. Mansfield social worker Kathy Ann Easley has seen a spike in demand at the food pantry she runs.
Holiday requests, such as assistance with Thanksgiving and Christmas, have tripled. People who never considered seeking out services are now finding themselves asking for help.
Many people that need financial help do not come forward fearing the stigma associated with seeking out assistance. But that stigma is vanishing as people from Mansfield to Willimantic to Rockville find themselves in desperate straits.
The program coordinator, Pat Michalak, checked to see if all the students were with their "big friends."
They then went to a pumpkin patch at, Edmondson's Farm in Coventry, where they were allowed to bring home a jack-o-lantern and took a hayride around the woods. Meanwhile the children were able to bond with their student mentors.
To the untrained eye this would seem nothing more than an average field trip. But if one were to take a closer look, they would see that almost none of the children had cell phones. Nor is it likely that they could have been able to afford a pumpkin for Halloween this year.
Occurrences like this are common among UConn's Community Outreach and other volunteer programs.
The economic downturn has hit home - and most UConn students do not realize it. Sure, they may see minor repercussions in their own lives or their friends', but for the towns surrounding UConn there is a long, hard road ahead.
In 2007, 16.8 percent of Mansfield residents were below the state poverty level. It's safe to assume that things have gotten worse. Even if the economy continues to improve, it can take a very long time for someone who has fallen to get back on his or her feet.
There is some evidence of tough times around campus. The florist shop is now an empty storefront. Mansfield social worker Kathy Ann Easley has seen a spike in demand at the food pantry she runs.
Holiday requests, such as assistance with Thanksgiving and Christmas, have tripled. People who never considered seeking out services are now finding themselves asking for help.
Many people that need financial help do not come forward fearing the stigma associated with seeking out assistance. But that stigma is vanishing as people from Mansfield to Willimantic to Rockville find themselves in desperate straits.
Be the first to comment on this story