IN THE COMMUNITY

Northwestern Students, Staff and Faculty Make a Difference in Bloomington

Students, staff and faculty from Northwestern gathered rakes, warm clothes, and great attitudes for Make a Difference Day in October 2008. The annual event drew an estimated 50 - 60 Northwestern volunteers, according to Jeff Graham, BS, human resource generalist, who co-chaired the event. Make a Difference Day is a national day of helping others. Each year Northwestern celebrates this day by raking yards of the elderly citizens of Bloomington.

According to Graham, the yards of 10 Bloomington homes were raked. “The event went really well. The homeowners were very thankful that we came out,” he said.

Bloomington Area Families Enjoy a Spook-tacular Halloween Party

Angels, clowns, princesses, and superheroes filled Northwestern Health Sciences University’s cafeteria and foyer at Bloomington’s Citywide Halloween party on Oct. 31. Nearly 1,000 people, including almost 450 kids, attended the annual event, enjoying carnival games; a display of animals from Richardson Nature Center; face painting; a balloon artist; a magician; prize drawings; and trick-or-treating.

According to Ryan Chapman, community relations coordinator for Northwestern, the event went really well. “The kids loved the live animals, and the magician did a great job.” The event is co-sponsored by Northwestern and the City of Bloomington.

Northwestern Employee Sends Used Computers to University of Liberia

John Flomo, Jr., MA, multicultural affairs coordinator at Northwestern Health Sciences University, shipped seven used computers to the University of Liberia in West Africa, in November 2008. For the past two years, Flomo has been shipping donated computers to several universities in Liberia. He raises funds from organizations and individuals, and solicits assistance from shipping companies to cover the cost of shipments. According to Flomo, the university is highly under-equipped due to the negative impact of the Liberian civil war, and the Liberian government is unable to provide the necessary support needed to restore the university to its pre-war status.

Flomo says the story of the university is a common story for almost all universities and colleges in Liberia. He hopes the computers will help students develop basic, yet necessary skills, such as Microsoft Word and Power Point. “A higher education institution must be equipped with technology. Some of the students at the University of Liberia don’t even know how to type,” Flomo stated. “I think this is a huge part of redeveloping the University of Liberia, and Liberia itself.” If you are interested in donating a used computer, contact Flomo at (952) 888-4777, ext. 519.