Change Drive Now Through March 22. This is a non-tuition scholarship donation to benefit a graduating high school student accepted at an accredited college or university. The program has been in existence for over 20 years and has made a difference in many students’ lives; the program name was changed to the Marie K. Bogle Scholarship in 2017. Students have been able to use the funds to buy books and the many other items needed to make a home away from home. Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu for additional information.

The following sites are available for your convenience to make your donation:

Reorganizing? Do you have furniture no longer needed by your department? Local non-profits are in need of your items! Do you have any computers to donate? Had a conference? Do you have left-over bags, T-shirts, tchotchkes? Need to empty out your storage space? Please donate them to Penn VIPS. We will put them to great use by donating them to community members, many of the students we work with, and we will also use them to say thank you to our many volunteers. Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu to donate your items.

Join Penn VIPS Drives Committee. Penn volunteers provide a drop-off location to collect the many donated items we receive during our annual drives. A variety of drives are conducted during the course of the year to partner with and help support local schools, families and agencies. Dropsite volunteers  are located throughout campus. Volunteers post the events, set up collection sites and help select the recipients for the donations. They also participate in an annual thank you luncheon. Drives are held during the following times:

    School Supplies Drive                  August

    Food Drive                                    November

    Gift/Toy Drive                                December

    Coat Drive                                     December

    Change Drive                                March

Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu for additional info.

Become a Mentor. A 7th grader needs you! The Penn’s WorkPlace Mentoring Program has been in existence since 1993. The program is designed to bring 7th graders from area middle schools to the University of Pennsylvania campus where they interact with faculty and staff.

The goal of the program is to expose mentees to a college campus and to help the mentees set goals for their future. Mentors form positive relationships with their mentees and talk to them about the importance of an education, how to set goals, and they also talk to students about how attending college can make a difference in their lives. Mentors provide resources. The mentor shares information about their career and they provide information on what is necessary for the mentee to achieve their goal. They direct mentee to searches on the web or looking up information in books or they set up interviews with persons who may be able to provide resources/information to the mentee. A mentor in the Penn’s WorkPlace Mentoring Program is a friend. Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu for additional info.

UACS Nights. Teach adult learners your expertise. Teach resume writing, interviewing skills, computers, employment prep, dance, hair braiding, cooking and/or a subject you are passionate about. Teach once a week for a one- or two-hour period for four to six weeks.

We also welcome classes that can be taught in one session. Classes are held on Wednesdays and/or Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. at West Philadelphia High School located on 49th and Chestnut Streets. Contact Isabel Mapp at sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu for additional info.

Create Your Own Volunteer Activity. Would you and your colleagues or friends like to participate in a volunteer activity? Penn VIPS is happy to connect you to an activity or help you develop one of your own.  Contact Isabel Mapp  at (215) 898-2020 or send an e-mail to sammapp@pobox.upenn.edu for additional information and /or to make a donation.

—Isabel Sampson-Mapp, Associate Director, Netter Center for Community Partnerships