Service Learning Proposal

Service Learning Proposal For VOX Organization

By: Natalie Rodriguez, Tiffany Quick, Abigail Ruiz, Shirley Scholtz, Taylor Sulouff.

February 10, 2011

Professor Meredith Tweed

WST 3015.1

Contact Information:

Community Partner: Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Address: 726 South Tampa Avenue, Orlando, FL 32805

Contact: 321.235.5513

VOX Contact: Rachel Anne, rachelannecollins@gmail.com

Community Partner Profile:

Community Partner Mission Statement: A Reason for Being

Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being. We believe that reproductive self-determination must be voluntary and preserve the individual's right to privacy. We further believe that such self-determination will contribute to an enhancement of the quality of life and strong family relationships.

Based on these beliefs, and reflecting the diverse communities within which we operate, the mission of Planned Parenthood is to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual to advocate public policies which guarantee these rights and ensure access to such services to provide educational programs which enhance understanding of individual and societal implications of human sexuality to promote research and the advancement of technology in reproductive health care and encourage understanding of their inherent bioethical, behavioral, and social implications

The Proposal:

After meetings with the president of the VOX organization, Rachel Anne, we have been made aware that they are in need for both volunteers and funding. The organization has a set number of members, but they need new, committed volunteers in order to help with future events. This organization is also in need for funding not only for the services they provide on campus, but to continue to be an organization.  

Plan Proposal:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since 2004 the sexually transmitted diseases Chlamydia and Congenital Syphilis are increasing among women in the United States and are highest in the South. Additionally, the Medical Director at UCF, Michael Deichen explains that as of April 2009, 6% of the student body in infected with Chlamydia and up to 50% may have HPV. Based on these statistics, a great need for awareness of reproductive health and rights along with pro-choice activism is vital to the UCF campus. The VOX group strives to do just this along with protecting the health of women overall by making options available to do so. Therefore, volunteers and donations are necessary to educate the women at the University of Central Florida about choices they can make to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In order to help VOX thrive and assist as many women at UCF as possible, my group of volunteers will attend their Thursday night meetings to help plan their tentative events. We will also help promote VOX/Planned Parenthood by tabling with them on Tuesdays, which entails passing out free condoms and pamphlets with sexual health information around campus. The main project we are planning together is a “bake sale/ tabling session” in front of the Student Union on a weekday at the end of February. In order to do this, we will be accepting condom donations to add to the VOX’s condom selection to give out during tabling. While we are giving away free condoms, we will be offering a variety of fresh baked goods (that my group of volunteers will make) for sale to gain monetary donations for the organization. Further promoting VOX on campus by obtaining condom and monetary donations will help them grow and reach out to women on a larger and more effective scale.

Rationale for Women’s Studies:

I anticipate VOX/ Planned Parenthood making an excellent community partner, because they are an organization that is committed to the wellbeing and enlightenment of women and girls. VOX provides the community with an invaluable service. They are educating women and girls with information that without VOX they may not know. Like the women of the 2^nd Wave of feminism who fought for access VOX is making the information available to these individuals. Access has been granted.

VOX/ Planned Parenthood provide education, advocacy, and health care to women and girls throughout the country. I am looking forward to being able to work with them, and in even a small way help to make a woman or girl’s life better. This kind of organization, in my opinion, is what Women’s Studies are about. There was a time when the subject matter that this organization deals with would have been illegal, but the mothers of the women’s movement fought so that we could all have the knowledge needed to properly take care of ourselves.

Action:

Our group decided to table and advertise for VOX outside of the Student Union.  We will be baking cookies, cakes, and other various yummy treats and selling them to students as they walk to their next class.  We are also going to be handing out condoms and information about VOX with every purchase.  The group has decided that Shirley, Natalie, Abigail, and Taylor will be in charge of baking and bringing something for the table.  Tiffany will be responsible for supplying the condoms and information.  The money we collect will go towards VOX and Planed Parenthood.

We have a date set for February 28, from 8:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon.  Tiffany is going to email SGA, which are the people in charge of organizing the tabling in front of the Student Union, we shall be hearing from them soon.  The meeting for VOX is on Thursdays from 5:30 to about 7:00, so during that time we will be able to run our idea of a “VOX Bake Sale” by them.  In addition to planning and running our VOX Bake Sale, we will also be attending meetings regularly with VOX as well as each other.

Timeline:

Our group will go through with our bake sale on February 28, 2010. This date is subject to change however according to any other activities that might present themselves later on this semester. Also take note that Table Sponsoring and Weekly Meetings will precede weekly throughout the remainder of the semester and that new projects may be developed.

1.      Weekly Meeting February 3

2.      Table Sponsoring February 9

3.      VOX Bake Sale February 28