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YOUNG SUDANESE SERVICE PROJECT
President-
Cinda Dietrich Pres. Elect- open Secretary-
Michelle Stopa-Ogunwale Treasurer- David Sangree (Malawi)
NORVA...Who We Are and What We Do In 1979, the Northern Ohio Returned Volunteer Association (NORVA) was incorporated to help returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV's) fulfill the Third Goal of Peace Corps, "To bring the world back home." Membership in NORVA is open to RPCV's, family and friends of current and returned volunteers, VISTA volunteers and any other interested community members. Throughout the years, NORVA has been involved in a variety of activities that provide assistance in the local community, raise awareness of international issues, and maintain connections whit current Peace Corps projects throughout the world. In addition to the activities highlighted below, NORVA has other periodic events such as an annual dinner, a summer picnic, happy hour gatherings, a biannual Founder's Day dinner to commemorate the birthday of President John F. Kennedy, and other various activities. Please contact NORVA for information about upcoming events. In 1989, NORVA hosted the National Peace Corps Association Annual Conference. Held at Kent State University, the conference attracted over 1,000 RPCV's. The proceeds from this event continue to be available as grants for projects in which NORVA members are involved that "bring the world back home." Past recipients include the Cleveland International Program (country nights) and Eastside Interfaith Ministries (community mural project). Please contact NORVA for information about applying for a grant. NORVA's monthly Board meetings are open to all. They serve informational, business, and social functions within the organization. Meetings are typically held on the third Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Please contact NORVA for more information about upcoming meetings. contact NORVA Each year NORVA donates $2, 000 to the Peace Corps Partnership Program, which helps a volunteer in the field with a project. In 1999 we helped with an irrigation project in Honduras; in 2000, funds went to a civic activism and awareness seminar in the Ukraine; our most recent contribution was to a community library in Bolivia. With the help of many local volunteers at the Cleveland National Air Show as our ongoing fundraiser, NORVA is able to continue giving generously overseas and locally. YOUNG SUDANESE SERVICE PROJECT The "Lost Boys of Sudan" is a familiar tale this past year. Young men from the Sudan were finally being allowed to relocate in the United States from the long civil war. Joking around with Akol or Ngor, they will laugh and tell you they are not lost. They live in Cleveland; they have a home. If you are late or they haven't seen you around in awhile, you will become the one who "is lost." How they found themselves in Cleveland is quite a story in itself:
The Catholic Charities of Greater Cleveland sponsored 40 of these young men, who were brought to Cleveland. Many volunteers worked on repairing the house that would house the Sudanese when they first arrived in a wave of 12. After a few months in Cleveland, RPCV's and other community volunteers decided to "adopt" these new refugees, who had won them over with their determination to seek an education and good attitudes about living in a completely foreign land. Breaking up into small teams, the volunteers were paired up with 3-5 young adults living in various apartments near the Fatima Center in Hough neighborhood. The objective would be to continue the Third Goal of Peace Corps, "bringing it back home." By taking cultural stills and strategies back from the countries where they served, many volunteers offered to help with reading, writing, tutoring, cooking, nutrition, transportation, banking, libraries, language--basically how to live in America. Of course it's evolved into cleaning, shopping, learning how to drive going to movies, dancing, doing laundry, trying out the Internet, making friends, and doing one's best to understand this American Culture. This project is intended to go on for one year as the NORVA community service project However, it is projected that the project will go on longer because of the great friendships that have been made. NORVA
schedules regular, informal happy hour gatherings at local bars
and restaurants approximately every six weeks. CALENDAR |
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