New Whitman M.B.A. students get immersed in Community Service Day

New Whitman M.B.A. students get immersed in Community Service DayAugust 13, 2009Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

Every business school student learns-or should learn-that giving back to the community is a major part of corporate responsibility. On Aug. 26, new M.B.A. students in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will get a hands-on crash course in community service, in partnership with SU’s Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service.

The one-day immersion in community service is part of the Whitman MBA Orientation and sets the expectation for student-community engagement while students are enrolled in the M.B.A. program-and for when they are professionals and leaders in the business world.

Among the community service projects on which the Whitman M.B.A. students will work:

? The Butterfly Garden of Hope for Bereaved (HOPE) is a memorial to those who have died and a symbol of hope to the living in Liverpool, N.Y. People from all over Central New York visit the Butterfly Garden each year to enjoy the beautiful flowers, remember their loved ones, and celebrate special events. Ten Whitman M.B.A. students will tend the garden, including cleaning benches, clearing ground cover, weeding, mowing, trimming and raking. HOPE is also a not-for-profit community organization that provides support and hope to thousands of grieving children, adults and families each year by offering one-to-one counseling, support groups, a telephone helpline, a newsletter and community education free-of-charge to the bereaved.

? The Rescue Mission seeks to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and clothe and care for the needy, including through its 13 thrift stores in Central New York. Ten Whitman M.B.A. students will volunteer at the Liverpool Donations Redistribution Center, sorting donations. Additionally, 20 Whitman M.B.A. students will help at the Rescue Mission’s Syracuse main campus with inventory, organization, cleaning and yard maintenance.

? Sainte Marie among the Iroquois is a re-creation of the French Mission that stood on the shores of Onondaga Lake from 1656-58. Twenty Whitman M.B.A. students will help clean the inside and outside of the facilities, organize the library collection, and clean and clear ground cover and the gardens.

For more information about the event, contact Huey Hsiao, assistant director of student services in the Whitman Graduate Programs Office, at (315) 443-3006 or huhsiao@syr.edu. Media queries can be directed to Amy Schmitz, Whitman director of communications, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.